GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Delays and disruptions will be coming to your daily commute.
A project involving I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County starts Tuesday, where a total of six flyover ramps will see closures.
The good news is, they won’t all be closed at the same time.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said this project is necessary to help preserve the roads.
It’s been more than 10 years since the I-41 corridor was completed.
Now with the creation of some new technology, six I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County and one in Winnebago County are getting an upgrade.
This includes the I-41/I-43 interchange and the I-41/WIS 29 interchange.
“The project will be milling off the existing deck overlay and then be doing any necessary deck repairs. And then we’ll be putting on this new overlay, which is a more robust weather resistant overlay that will protect the bridge decks here,” Wisconsin DOT Project Manager Josh Lang said.
The new overlay is called “Polyester Polymer Concrete.”
But what exactly is that? When you’re driving on the ramps, you may notice patchy black and white spots on the road — that’s what the DOT is fixing, with a new specialized type of concrete.
Lang said the new overlay is key for high traffic areas.
“The main purpose of this material is to protect the bridge decks. That’s what our structures see the most wear and tear, but it does have those added benefits. The traction benefits the durability and such there,” Lang said.
The $6.87 million project is being funded through a mixture of state and federal funding.
Lang said the project is happening now because this new overlay technology didn’t exist until after the original highway project was complete.
There are no other issues with the flyover ramps, according to Lang.
Most of the closures will be quick, but will cause delays and detours.
Lang called this project an important step in preserving the roads for years to come.
“It’s really exciting. It’s really a great application of this material and I’m excited to see how this performs to keep our infrastructure, everything that was built with this 41 expansion in great shape,” Lang said.
The first ramp closure starts Tuesday with I-41 south to 29 west.
Lang said that work will last about a week.
The DOT expects all of the Brown County improvements to be done by September.
The Winnebago County project will begin in 2027.
I-41/I-43 interchange, Brown County:
- Northbound I-41 to southbound I-43 southbound (over Velp Avenue)
- Northbound I-43 to southbound I-41 (over I-41)
- Northbound I-43 to northbound I-41
I-41/WIS 32/WIS 29 interchange, Brown County:
- Southbound I-41 to westbound WIS 29 (over WIS 29)
- Eastbound WIS 29 to northbound I-41 (over I-41/WIS 29)
- Northbound I-41 to westbound WIS 29 (over I-41)
Winnebago County:
- Northbound I-41 to northbound US 45 (over I-41)
