-UPDATE- 5 year road construction project begins on I-41 to our north

***UPDATE***

Traffic impacts *Updated as of 2 p.m., April 1*

Northbound (NB) and southbound (SB) I-41 between WIS 114 and College Avenue will have various freeway and ramp closures from Monday, April 1 through Saturday, April 6 for storm sewer crossings.

Monday (4/1) night

• NB I-41 at WIS 114/County JJ Interchange will be closed tonight, Monday, April 1 from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
  • Detour: NB I-41 off-ramp to WIS 114/County JJ and re-enter via NB on-ramp from WIS 114/County JJ.

Tuesday (4/2) night

·         ALL CLOSURES CANCELED DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER

Wednesday (4/3) night

• NB I-41 at WIS 114/County JJ Interchange CLOSED 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
  • Detour: NB I-41 off-ramp to WIS 114/County JJ and re-enter via NB on-ramp from WIS 114/County JJ

Thursday (4/4) night

• NB I-41 at WIS 114/County JJ Interchange CLOSED 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
  • Detour: NB I-41 off-ramp to WIS 114/County JJ and re-enter via NB on-ramp from WIS 114/County JJ
• SB I-41 off-ramp to WIS 125/County CA CLOSED 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• SB I-41 on-ramp from WIS 125/County CA CLOSED 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Friday (4/5) night

• SB I-41 off-ramp to WIS 125/County CA CLOSED 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• SB I-41 on-ramp from WIS 125/County CA CLOSED 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• NB I-41 off-ramp to County II ramp CLOSED 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Saturday (4/6) night

• NB I-41 at County II Interchange CLOSED 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
  • Detour: NB I-41 off-ramp to County II and re-enter via NB on-ramp from County II

===========ORIGINAL STORY============================

Commuters using I-41 north of Appleton to Green Bay will need to get used to road work in the area as a 5 year highway expansion project starts today, April 1, 2024.

The two lanes in each direction will be expanded to three lanes to relieve traffic congestion that has increased over the years.

The first segment of work will be the removal of the Capitol Drive bridge over 41. The bridge sits on the northwest side of the Appleton metro area, about a mile and a half north of the mall. I-41 looks to remain open during the day but will have overnight full closures between Wisconsin Avenue and Richmond Street on Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. and on Friday from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. for bridge removal.

The bridge will be reconstructed to create a wider, safer roadway for bicyclists and pedestrians. The new bridge is also needed as the current support structures for the bridge need to be removed to make way for the new lanes.

Later this summer, work will shift to the Highway 15 bridge which is just south of the Capitol Drive bridge.

Work on this phase of the project is expected to go until the fall of 2027. Work on phase 2 of the project which is between Lyndale Drive and Holland road on the north side of Appleton will begin in 2026. The project will continue to work it’s way north to De Pere and is expected to be complete in 2029.