In Wisconsin's Eau Claire County, construction on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) Brackett Project — upgrading an 8.4-mile stretch of Interstate 94 (I-94) between the U.S. 53 interchange and Mallard Road — has passed the halfway point. The three-year project, which began in March 2024 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026, includes grading, pavement removal, milling, concrete, HMA pavement, culvert/storm sewer installation, and structure repair and widening.
Interstate 94, which was the first section of the Interstate Highway System completed in the state of Wisconsin, runs for 348 miles east-west through the western, central, and southeastern portions of the state. Average daily traffic along the corridor was 28,100 vehicles in 2023. That figure is expected to climb to 32,600 vehicles by the year 2043.
“The primary need for this project is to address the deteriorated concrete pavement along I-94 and bring the highway up to current interstate standards to maintain capacity and functionality of the interstate,” said Jessica Doud, WisDOT Project Manager. “The existing concrete pavement has reached the end of its pavement life, as it was originally placed in 1967 with the original construction of the interstate, and over the years, this segment has had four asphaltic overlays.
“Four bridges — County Trunk Highway [CTH] J eastbound and westbound and County Trunk Highway D eastbound and westbound — also are reaching the end of their useful lives and need replacement. The new bridges will be wider to accommodate a future expansion of I-94. Construction on the westbound CTH J bridge was completed in early July, and work has started on the westbound CTH D structure. Both eastbound bridges will be replaced in 2026.”
According to Doud, the major components of the project include:
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- Removing and replacing the pavement on I-94 from Otter Creek to Mallard Road
- Resurfacing the shoulders and completing concrete pavement repair on I-94 and collector roads from the western project limits to Otter Creek
- Resurfacing the I-94/U.S. 53 interchange, the approaching pavement on U.S. 53, and the interchange ramps
- Widening the eastbound I-94 bridge over Otter Creek
- Removing and replacing the east- and westbound bridges over CTH D and CTH J with structures that meet vertical clearance requirements and are wide enough to handle future four-lane temporary traffic
- Removing and replacing a box culvert near CTH D
- Making storm sewer repair
- Placing new pavement markings Hoffman Construction Company of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, is the primary contractor, and Jim Dzienkowski, PE of KL Engineering is the Project Engineer.
- I-94 pavement replacement cost: $55,373,948
- CTH J Westbound cost: $2,936,953
- CTH J Eastbound cost: $5,519,065
- CTH D Westbound Cost: $4,156,365
- CTH D Eastbound Cost: $2,726,475
- Over 600,000 cubic yards of common excavation
- Four new structures
- One new box culvert
- 150,000 cubic yards of borrow
- Over 400,000 tons of 1-1/4-inch base course
- Over 8,000 linear feet of culvert pipe
- 215,000 linear feet of temporary barrier wall
- 220,000 square yards of 12-inch concrete pavement
- 125,000 tons of asphalt
- Owner: Wisconsin Department of Transportation
- Primary Contractor: Hoffman Construction Company, Lake Oswego, Oregon
- Project Engineer: Jim Dzienkowski, PE of KL Engineering, Madison, Wisconsin
- Other Key Contractors: Allstates Pavement Recycling & Stabilization Construction, B&B Electric, Inc., Forward Traffic & Marking, LLC, Century Fence Company, Chippewa Concrete Services, Inc., Con-Cor Company, Inc., Hard Rock Sawing & Drilling Specialist Co., Homer Tree Services, Inc., Interstate Sealant & Concrete, Inc., Quest Civil Engineers, LLC, Real Land Surveying, LLC, Mattison Contractors, Inc., Monarch Paving Company, Surface Preparation Technologies, LLC, Trierweiler Construction and Supply Company, Sheet Piling Services, LLC Photos courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Hoffman Construction Co.
The overall project cost is $70,712,806, segmented as follows:
Funding for the Brackett Project is 90 percent federal and 10 percent state, except for culvert C-18-51, which is funded by 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funding.
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The first year of construction (2024) focused on bridge widenings, building temporary lanes to be used during the second and third years of the project, as well as the mill and overlay of U.S. 53 ramps. During the 2024 construction season, multiple project components were completed, according to Doud.
“Temporary I-94 lanes were constructed from Otter Creek to Mallard Road in the median of I-94,” she said. “CTH J and CTH D eastbound bridges were widened to accommodate I-94 traffic when on the temporary I-94 lanes. Permanent widening on the Otter Creek eastbound bridge was completed, as was concrete patching along I-94 west of Otter Creek. Also, 1.2 miles of U.S. 53 was milled and overlayed, including the U.S. 53/I-94 interchange ramps.”
She added that, at this point in the 2025 construction season, westbound traffic has been moved to the temporary lanes, the existing westbound CTH J bridge has been removed, and the new bridge has been built.
Currently, concrete placement is underway in the existing westbound lanes, and with the demolition of the existing westbound CTH D bridge completed, crews are constructing the new bridge. New concrete pipes and box culverts are being installed along the project corridor.
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Hoffman Construction Project Manager Jason Ivers provided an overview of the construction seasons for the three-year project:
“The first year, 2024, we worked in the median with lane closures and behind temporary barrier wall to build a temporary roadway that carries westbound traffic this year,” he said. “The second year is coming along nicely. 2025 includes reconstruction of 8 miles on westbound I-94 between Eau Claire and Foster. The crew, led by Superintendent Tim Roesler, are busy with pavement removals, grading out the new roadway, crushing old concrete and asphalt into a new base course, gravel placement, new culvert pipes, two new bridge structures, a new box culvert, and new 12-inch-thick concrete pavement.
“In 2026, we will do the same thing on eastbound I-94 with removals, grading, gravel placement, new culvert pipes, two new bridge structures, a new box culvert, and new 12-inch-thick concrete pavement. Also in 2026, we will have to remove the temporary roadway when the eastbound side is complete. In total, there will be 15 road miles of I-94 reconstructed with four new bridges, one new box culvert, and all new concrete pavement.”
Material quantities provided by Ivers show the scope of the project:
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“We are using the existing pavements on the project for all the base aggregate on the new roadways,” Ivers said. “We use a crusher to make the old concrete and asphalt into 1-1/4-inch and 3/4-inch gravel. This recycles the old roadway and helps keep the cost of the material down, instead of using virgin products.”
Weather, traffic management, and access concerns have been among the challenges being addressed on the Brackett Project, according to project representatives.
“This year we have seen quite a bit of rain, which has slowed construction down and made it difficult to get the production that was hoped for,” Doud said. “Even with the weather challenges, though, we are still on schedule to complete the project by November 2026. If the weather results in contractors falling behind, weekend work is permitted on the project.
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“Another challenge has been related to traffic management. Lane closures are allowed on I-94 during nonpeak travel times, and the speed limit in the work zone has been decreased from 70 mph to 60 mph. The high volume of fast-moving traffic has resulted in a couple of crashes, which requires the contractors to divert their energy from construction towards addressing the crashes and managing the associated safety risks while working.”
Ivers added that coordinating the interstate traffic and lane closures during the first year required close collaboration with WisDOT to gain access to median work areas for building the temporary roadway. Space was especially limited on half of the project because of the narrow median and existing overhead structures.
“Access during construction of westbound and eastbound I-94 is a challenge due to limited lane closures and barrier wall on the temporary roadway,” Ivers said. “Ramps along the new structures are being used from existing county roadways that go under I-94. There is a box culvert on the south end of the project that cuts off a lot of access, so working through that to get work done on the other side of it has been important to address.
“Bypassing the creek during box culvert construction is going to be a challenge due to the length of time it takes to build the box culvert each year. We plan to bypass pump it and work with the structure subcontractor to get it done in a timely manner while doing it safely.”
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According to Ivers, weather is a constant challenge on major grading projects, and this year’s frequent heavy rain has made it especially difficult.
“We have been able to push through and keep moving forward on the project, and our crews have worked hard on protecting work areas when known weather events are forecasted,” he said.
In addition to providing a smoother and safer driving experience and improved transport links along a significant Wisconsin transportation corridor, the Brackett Project is a substantial investment in infrastructure — one which is expected to have a positive economic impact on the region.
“Interstate 94 is an important transportation, tourism, and economic corridor in Wisconsin, so it’s imperative to make sure the interstate remains in good condition to move goods and people efficiently and safely,” said Christena O’Brien, WisDOT Communications Manager. “This segment of I-94 connects to U.S. 53, a vital link between Eau Claire and the Twin Ports of Superior and Duluth, Minnesota. This corridor is important for transporting goods and people heading north to recreational areas.”
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