Milwaukee Business Journal – In a strong show of bipartisan support for jobs and economic development, the Republican-controlled Legislative Joint Finance Committee approved the enumeration of the Interstate 94 East-West project included in Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal.

The three and half mile stretch of freeway that runs along American Family Field between the Marquette and Zoo Interchanges connects the region to the rest of the state and beyond. Both the Marquette and Zoo interchanges have undergone significant modernization themselves. But we still are left with an unsafe choke point that increases congestion and slows the wheels of commerce for Wisconsin businesses.

This corridor is critically important to the regional and state economies, with over 21,000 businesses, 310,000 jobs, and 540,000 residents located within five miles of its center.

Each year, businesses from across Wisconsin rely on this stretch to transport 17 million tons of freight, with an estimated value of $25 billion. From cheese to milk to grains and other farm products, to boats, cars, military vehicles and a host of other manufactured goods, I94 East-West is pivotal to these to market, and supporting Wisconsin workers.

Despite many of the challenges of the pandemic, southeastern Wisconsin has continued to see strong momentum in job creation and economic development. A strong transportation infrastructure is a top need for any business looking to expand or invest in new facilities and jobs, and needs to be a top priority for the region.

I hope lawmakers can also reach a similar bipartisan consensus on transit, but we should applaud progress when we see it.

Aging roads and infrastructure sends the wrong message to investors looking to grow or expand in Wisconsin, and devalues the investments we have already made. We can, and we should recognize that we must invest in our roads, as well as other key infrastructure, to maintain our competitiveness in the global economy.

We should not be satisfied to have merely survived the pandemic. We need to work together, suiting up wearing the same jersey, to position our region to thrive as we open up and get back to work. The I-94 East-West project is a pivotal piece in this effort and we should applaud our leaders for recognizing this, and investing in our future.

###

Jim Villa, CEO of NAIOP Wisconsin, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.