Editing Marquette Interchange (section)

=== The new interchange ===
[[File:Marquette Interchange looking southwest Sept 2015.jpg|thumb|left|Interchange in 2015]]
The junction underwent a complete reconstruction dubbed the '''Marquette Interchange Project''' between 2004 and 2008, and was officially opened on August 19, 2008, several weeks ahead of schedule. The construction came in at $190 million below its $1 billion budget. The project involved 46 cranes and more than 4,000 workers in what was at the time the largest construction project in state history.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marquette Interchange construction was a smooth ride|url=http://archive.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/32614254.html/|access-date=2021-05-20|website=archive.jsonline.com}}</ref>

The project rebuilt the [[viaduct]] section of [[Interstate 794|I-794]] between the interchange and the [[Milwaukee River]], [[Interstate 43|I-43]] from the interchange to North Avenue (including the bridges carrying city streets that spanned the freeway), the Hillside Interchange that connected I-43 to [[Wisconsin Highway 145|Highway 145]], and [[Interstate 94 in Wisconsin|I-94]] from the interchange to 26th Street (including rebuilding the north end of the 16th Street Viaduct, officially known as the James E. Groppi Unity Bridge). The project also demolished the [[Milwaukee County Courthouse#Courthouse Annex|Milwaukee County Courthouse Annex]] parking structure that stood over the northbound lanes of I-43 just north of the interchange. The interchange reconstruction also re-configured the stubbed [[Park Freeway]] to an arterial street design, with the freed up land eventually leading to the redevelopment of the Haymarket neighborhood, and the construction of the [[Fiserv Forum]] arena.

The new Marquette Interchange occupies the same approximately 75 acres of downtown land as the old interchange system, with some adjustments. Design features include:

* Two lane ramps in all directions
* More gradual curves on ramps, with longer sight distances
* More distance between ramps, to eliminate traffic conflicts from lane changes, which was accommodated by rebuilding the roads a half-mile from the interchange
* Elimination of all left-hand entrances and exits
* Design features allow for future expansion in all directions to eight lanes