Wisconsin Traffic in June to be Slower than Molasses in January

By Kate Gardiner in News on May 9, 2009 6:40PM

Ah, I-94. It's construction season. Again. As part of our penance for trying to flee to the northern climes (Lake Geneva, anyone?) during the sweltering summer, we'll be forced to sit on hot asphalt, in bumper-to-bumper traffic staring longingly off the highway. Why? Because it's time for a major highway expansion and modification north of the border. How big? Well, they're making "Are we there yet?" landmark Mars Cheese Castle move from its iconic location - 100 feet further from the roadway.

And they've made a Web site for real-time traffic delays. And they're trying really really hard to not scare off all us money-spenders. According to the Tribune,

"Tourism brings $13 billion a year to Wisconsin, much of it from the wallets of Illinois residents, the state's No. 1 visitors, said Mark Richardson, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

"We very much value our customers and visitors, and we will do anything we can to mitigate the effects of this construction," Richardson said. "But in the long run, construction like this helps make sure those folks can get here safely and get where they want to go."

David Fantle, spokesman for the city's convention and visitors bureau, believes motorists from the Chicago area who attend Milwaukee's series of summer festivals, art museum and other attractions won't be as inconvenienced by the roadwork as they are with construction problems they experience at home.

"Our message to northern Illinois and Chicagoans who like to come up here is: Compared to what you're used to, it's probably going to be easy for you," Fantle said."

Regardless, the waters of any of the state's 11,000 square miles of lakes and rivers are likely to tempt even the most traffic-phobic among us. It'll just be even harder to come home. Alas.