,

State DOT Prepares For Heavy Road Traffic During Labor Day Weekend

Officials Warn Of Traffic, Slowdowns Because Of Increase Volume On Roadways

By
Maggie Tacheny (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Additional drivers are expected to crisscross Wisconsin’s roads this holiday weekend, according to officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

DOT crews have suspended most roadwork and have cleared temporary signs and traffic barrels from construction zones in order to open lanes for travelers this Labor Day weekend.

But chief construction oversight engineer Wayne Chase said drivers should still stay alert:

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Even thought we’re going to have all the lanes open that are possible, some lanes will still be a little narrower than normal,” Chase said. “There could be still some reduced speed limits in certain areas, and obviously, just the volume of traffic due to the holiday could cause some slowdowns and stopped traffic.”

David Pabst, of the DOT, said Labor Day weekend drivers might still encounter slowdowns, detours and other changes on several large road projects.

“On the Zoo Interchange project in Milwaukee, there will still be some work with a new traffic pattern in place. And in northern Washington County, work continues on (Interstate 41) near the Kohlsville River bridge,” he said.

DOT officials said there were six traffic-related deaths in Wisconsin during 2016’s Labor Day weekend.

State and local law enforcement will be on the roads watching for impaired drivers.

Road work will resume Tuesday.

DOT has updated its online 511 service to include additional traffic and weather information for drivers ahead of holiday travel.