Transportation Projects Commission to talk MKE’s 794 intersection, LAX corridor in annual meeting

Wisconsin’s Transportation Projects Commission will convene on Wednesday for its annual meeting to review major road projects in the state.

The 15-member commission meets once a year in December to hear progress on ongoing large road projects and consider new projects for development.

According to an agenda released on Monday by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the group is scheduled to hear the latest on the La Crosse corridor, and possibly act on a motion. The group is also to have a discussion about Milwaukee’s 794 interchange near Lake Michigan.

WisDOT completed a rebuild of 794’s lake intersection in 2015 as part of the $1.7 billion Marquette Interchange project.

The TPC is responsible for recommending major highway projects for funding by the state Legislature. The commission considers projects on a two-year cycle. In odd-numbered years, TPC looks at projects that could advance to becoming the subject of an environmental study. In even-numbered years, the group can recommend projects for enumeration after they’ve completed an environmental review.

In its meeting last year, the commission recommended building interstate bridges over the Wisconsin River and rebuilding a stretch of U.S. Highway 51 in Dane County. It also canceled studies on two other potential road projects in the state.

The commission is made up of five state representatives, five state senators and three citizen members. Gov. Tony Evers is the chairman of the commission and WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson serves as a non-voting member. Follow @natebeck9