Bluemound Road to close near Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa

Westbound traffic from intersection will be blocked

July 20, 2013

Zoo Interchange construction work is coming to an intersection near you.

Beginning Saturday, through traffic on Bluemound Road will be blocked entirely from the corner of Mayfair Road west to 110th Street as contractors for the state Department of Transportation widen the pavement. The closure will continue for a week and a half, until July 31, said DOT spokeswoman Emlynn Grisar.

Traffic will flow north and south on Mayfair through the intersection during the work, although as most drivers must have noticed, the roads have been narrowed and backups are frequent. Traffic also will continue in both directions on Bluemound Road from Mayfair road east. The intersection will be open from three directions — north, south and east.

Access to businesses and homes will be maintained, the DOT said. The department recommends using Potter Road and 115th Street for cars approaching from the north, and Theodore Trecker Way, Curtis Road and 121st Street for those coming from the south.

The Greenfield Avenue bridge reconstruction is expected to be completed in late summer, and this may provide another route for some drivers.

The intersection work could have been worse. The DOT's original plans called for the complete closure of the intersection from all directions.

Other area work

Another intersection will be under construction beginning Aug. 1, when the junction of Watertown Plank and Mayfair roads will be the focus, with lane closures until Aug. 10.

The extension of Swan Boulevard is yet another project getting under way. Utility work has already begun, and Swan will be rebuilt to intersect Watertown Plank Road further west, across the street from Innovation Drive. The new Swan will include accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians and will have streetscaping elements, the DOT said.

Drivers accustomed to using the ramp access to southbound Highway 45 from Swan will turn left at the intersection of the new Swan at Watertown Plank and use the planned "free-flow" Watertown Plank Road interchange to be built next year. Swan is planned to be completed before Watertown Plank is shutdown for the complex interchange work. For the most part, Swan will remain open during the extension work, said DOT's Mike Pyritz.

The park-and-ride lot on the south side of Watertown Plank, east of the Children's Court Center, will remain open until Oct. 31, the DOT said. The department is working on an alternative when that lot closes. On the north side of Watertown Plank, the overflow lot will be restricted and may close entirely for utility and other work in the next month, the DOT said.

Capitol Drive

An ongoing city of Milwaukee project also is likely to affect many Wauwatosa drivers.

In early August, as Capitol Drive is rebuilt, traffic will operate on the newly built north side of the roadway with one lane in both directions. Sidewalk, curb and pavement removal will be part of the work on the other side, according to the city.

This work also will include the reconfiguration of the intersection at North 100th Street and West Capitol Drive. The turn from 100th Street onto Capitol Drive will become a cul-de-sac.

The large flower bed that welcomes visitors to Milwaukee will now be located on the southwest corner of the new intersection.

The new date for the opening the roadway is now the end of November instead of October. Part of the delay is due to unforeseen problems encountered while reconstructing the bridge over the Menomonee River, and rainy weather.

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