Governor Doyle is responding to critics who say he’s to blame for the closure of a crumbling bridge that carries traffic through Milwaukee’s Zoo Interchange. Doyle said the funding he opposed had nothing to do with the condition of the road. He said the decision to begin work rebuilding the Zoo Interchange in 2016 was made before he became governor in 2003.
Gov. Doyle (:15)
Republicans and others have pointed their fingers at Doyle, for diverting $1.3 billion in gas tax revenues from work on the highways, to cover other parts of the state budget. But most of the money has been paid back, and the shortfall is now just over $300 million.
Meanwhile, the person in charge of rebuilding Milwaukee’s downtown Marquette Interchange a few years ago told the Journal Sentinel the Zoo Interchange was supposed to be rebuilt right after the Marquette was done.
But state DOT officials said the plan all along was to refurbish I-94 from Milwaukee to the Illinois line first. That project began last year, while crack-filling began last January on the Highway 45 freeway bridge at the Zoo interchange. Those cracks still got worse, and that’s why the bridge was closed last week, causing traffic headaches throughout Metro Milwaukee.
Jason Fischer contributed to this report