Although one major construction project – the Sixth Street reconstruction – hit a red light last month, several others are still in development in Milwaukee.
Major projects are being planned for Villard Avenue, Center Street, National Avenue and Sherman Boulevard and the I-43/94 National Avenue interchange.
Though all have been awarded federal funding, none except Sixth Street received money from the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program, canceled by President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
When Congress passed the Trump administration’s tax cut and spending bill in July, it rescinded $34.5 million of unobligated funding for the Sixth Street reconstruction project.
The program was part of a $3.3 billion effort to reinvest in and reconnect communities that had been cut off by transportation infrastructure in the past.
Update on freeway planning grant
Outside of Sixth Street, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation received a $2 million planning grant for the I-43/94 National Avenue interchange through a related federal grant program called Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods.
However, this funding was obligated in October and not impacted by the bill, according to Trevor Fannon, a communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s southeast region.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has additionally allocated $500,000 for the study, bringing the total to $2.5 million, he said.
Other road projects on Villard Avenue, Center Street, National Avenue and Sherman Boulevard are also on track to move forward, according to Tiffany Shepherd, marketing and communications officer for the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works.
Here’s an update on where they stand.
National Avenue
Designs are being finalized for the National Avenue/WIS 59 project, with construction scheduled to start in spring 2026, according to Fannon.
This project will reconstruct National Avenue from First Street to 39th Street over three years and add features like separated raised bike lanes, raised crosswalks and reduced lanes in sections.
“Currently, construction is expected to cost $37.8 million,” Fannon said.
WisDOT estimates the Federal Highway Administration will fund the majority of the project, WisDOT will cover 15% and the City of Milwaukee will fund 21%.
The federal portion includes a $25 million grant through the former Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, or RAISE.
The RAISE program is now part of the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant program, or BUILD, which provides surface transportation infrastructure grants.
Villard Avenue and Center Street
Both the West Villard Avenue and West Center Street projects are in the initial outreach stage, according to Shepherd.
“What happened to Sixth Street, we have no indication that anything like that is happening with Villard and Center, and we’re progressing as normal,” Shepherd said.
For Villard Avenue, the city was awarded $14.3 million in RAISE funding, which is intended to cover 100% of the reconstruction’s cost as of now.
This project will enhance the connectivity and safety of Villard Avenue from Sherman Boulevard to North 20th Street and surrounding streets.
The city received $25 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All funding for the Center Street project.
Nearly two miles of a high-injury stretch of Center Street from Sherman Boulevard to Teutonia Avenue will be reconstructed.
The total cost is estimated at $31.25 million, although it will be refined as designs advance, according to Shepherd.
Sherman Boulevard
The city is receiving a total of $19,197,300 across four separate grant applications for the North Sherman Boulevard project, Shepherd said.
This includes funding from the Federal Surface Transportation Block Grant and Highway Safety Improvement Program, which are distributed by WisDOT and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.
Because of the unique funding structure, Shepherd said, funding for Sherman Boulevard has not been considered in jeopardy of being cut.
The project will reconstruct Sherman Boulevard’s pavement from North Avenue to West Capitol Drive and update the corridor’s overall design to calm traffic and improve mobility for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians.
The project is estimated to cost $30 million and construction is expected to start in 2027, according to Shepherd.
She said her department will host at least one more public meeting between now and the start of construction to discuss how the design and construction will affect residents.
More on Sixth Street
Announced by President Joe Biden last year in Milwaukee, the Sixth Street project would have redesigned 2.6 miles from West North Avenue to West National Avenue with features to support transit, pedestrians and bicycles.
Milwaukee Common Council President José Pérez said in a statement that he was disappointed in the funding cancellation for such a large project that would serve North and South side neighborhoods.
“Cities cannot plan and there can be no vision when promises like this are broken,” he said. “This is no way to conduct government, and I will continue to advocate for the needed improvements to this major corridor.”
The city was already awarded $2.1 million in funding for planning and design, which it plans to move forward with, according to Shepherd.
“We don’t have another revenue stream lined up, but we hope that sometime in the future that things could change,” Shepherd said.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
