Accelerate April 2021 Magazine

WAUKESHA COUNTY BUSINESS ALLIANCE, INC. | WAUKESHA.ORG 18 For many years, the Waukesha County Business Alliance has supported reconstructing, modernizing, and adding capacity to the crucial I-94 East- West Corridor. Our members represent a number of the 21,000 businesses and nearly 310,000 jobs located within five miles of the corridor. The East-West Corridor is the gateway for the products and venues that make our region and state vibrant and healthy. Seventeen million tons of freight valued at $25 billion travel through the corridor annually, coming from or heading to every corner of Wisconsin and across the nation. Millions travel this vitally important corridor each year to visit Summerfest, the Brewers, the Bucks, the State Fair, and downtown Milwaukee. The up to 160,000 vehicles that travel on 94 EW daily are a testament to the significant role it serves in the region and our state’s transportation system. We know that a thriving economy relies on a coherently integrated network of roads, rails, highways, and transit. Each is an important piece of the whole. There are several important factors that support reconstruction of 94 EW. Reconstruction of the East-West Corridor maximizes the return on the $2.4 billion investment the state and federal governments have made to rebuild the Marquette and Zoo interchanges. The benefits of these modern interchanges will only be fully realized if the primary freeway connecting them is equally efficient and safe. Modernization of the corridor will also improve safety. The average crash rate on the corridor is two to three times higher than the statewide urban freeway average and, at some points, more than four times higher. Crashes on the reconstructed Southeast Wisconsin Interstate segments have been reduced by up to 48 percent. Improvement of the corridor supports additional economic development in Milwaukee andWaukesha counties and enhances the region’s efforts to grow. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation estimates up to 10,000 local skilled construction professionals will work on the project. The wages earned by these men and women will bolster the economy and support local businesses. TIME TO MODERNIZE THE I-94 EAST-WEST CORRIDOR COVER STORY SUZANNE KELLEY President & CEO Waukesha County Business Alliance, Inc. WE KNOW THAT A THRIVING ECONOMY RELIES ON A COHERENTLY INTEGRATED NETWORK OF ROADS, RAILS, HIGHWAYS & TRANSIT.