The Daily Dig
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has awarded Jacobs multiple design contracts to advance the modernization of the I-39/90/94 corridor, one of the state's busiest and most economically significant transportation routes.
The program carries an estimated price tag of $4.9 billion at completion, up from an initial $3.7 billion estimate reported by the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association in 2024, with the difference attributed to inflation.
The corridor was built in the 1960s and currently handles up to 109,000 vehicles per day, moving more than $100 billion in freight annually. The 67-mile stretch between Madison and Wisconsin Dells is the focus of the modernization effort.
Planned work includes interstate widening, interchange and bridge reconstruction, three new interchanges, and raising roadway elevation to reduce flooding impacts. Jacobs will provide design services across multiple segments and will serve as lead designer for Segment 3, which covers the I-39/I-90/I-94 system interchange.
Design is expected to begin in 2026, with construction to follow. No firm start date for construction has been confirmed.
Project Snapshot:
Project: I-39/90/94 Corridor Modernization
Client: Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)
Lead Designer: Jacobs
Location: Madison to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Corridor Length: 67 miles
Estimated Program Value: Up to $4.9 billion (up from initial $3.7B estimate)
Scope: Interstate widening, interchange and bridge reconstruction, three new interchanges, roadway elevation improvements
Jacobs Role: Multiple design contracts; lead designer for Segment 3 (I-39/I-90/I-94 system interchange)
Design Start: Expected 2026
Construction: To follow design; no firm start date confirmed
Corridor Traffic: Up to 109,000 vehicles per day
Annual Freight Value: Over $100 billion
Original Construction: 1960s
TheJobWalk Thoughts
A program of this scale with multiple segments and phased construction means multiple procurement windows, not one big bid. Firms that stay close to the design process will have a cleaner read on scope and sequencing before packages hit the street.
The Segment 3 system interchange, where three interstates converge, carries the heaviest technical demands of any single piece of this program. Heavy civil, structural steel, and complex phasing under live traffic are the trades and challenges that come with that territory. Subs with interchange experience should be paying attention now.
The program's estimated cost could reach $4.9 billion due to inflation, up from the original $3.7 billion projection. On a multi-year build, materials pricing will keep moving. Suppliers need to account for that from the start, not after commitments are made.
