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WisDOT receives regional transportation award for Zoo Interchange project
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MILWAUKEE — The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) awarded the Zoo Interchange North Leg project with a regional America’s Transportation Award in the category of ‘Safety — Large Projects.’

As one of the busiest interchanges in the state, the Zoo Interchange is a critical hub for commerce, tourism, and cultural/social activities throughout Wisconsin. Finishing the North Leg was the final segment of the $1.5 billion Zoo Interchange program, creating a safe and efficient link in the state’s transportation network.

“Safety is a core value in all that we do,” Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Craig Thompson said. “Successful projects like the Zoo Interchange, and their corresponding safety impacts, are a direct result from teams working tirelessly to deliver on that value. Together we are improving our transportation system to enhance safety and mobility for Wisconsinites and visitors.”

Completed in November 2023, the project reconstructed and expanded I-41 to eight lanes from Swan Boulevard to Burleigh Street in the city of Wauwatosa, helping reduce traffic congestion and crash rates. Within the last year, the Zoo Interchange experienced a 50% decrease in crash rates — including a 60% reduction in rear-end crashes — helping travelers who rely on this corridor reach their destination safely and more efficiently.

This modernized major interchange now provides safe and reliable access to neighborhoods and businesses, and ensures quality infrastructure to efficiently move goods and services to reach all corners of Wisconsin.

The Zoo Interchange North Leg will now be entered into the competition’s “Top 12” projects across the nation, which will be announced in early September. Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America’s Transportation Awards competition recognizes projects and programs across the nation that make their communities better places to live, work and play. Read the AASHTO news release to learn more about the America’s Transportation Awards.