BizTimes Breaking News: Franklin Mayor Wants Interchange, Breaks Tie Vote

"The Drexel Avenue interchange on Interstate 94 in Oak Creek is one step away from becoming a reality," says Biz Times Saturday.

"In a special meeting today, the Franklin City Council voted, 4-3, with Mayor Tom Taylor casting the deciding vote, to spend $500,000 on improvements in the South 27th corridor.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation told the cities of Franklin and Oak Creek that they must jointly contribute for half of the costs of the estimated $12.8 million project.

The Oak Creek City Council approved plans to provide a total of $4.4 million for the area, including $3.75 million to build the interchange, $500,000 for South 27th Street lighting and $150,000 for Drexel Avenue lighting and utility work. The Oak Creek funds would come from a tax incremental financing (TIF) district.

However, the project met some resistance in Franklin because the interchange actually would be located in Oak Creek, even though it would provide service to Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. campus in Franklin.

When it built a corporate campus in Franklin, Northwestern Mutual provided $1.6 million to the Department of Transportation for area road improvements. That money will be used for the Drexel Avenue project if an agreement between the DOT, Franklin and Oak Creek can be reached.

The DOT had indicated it would give Franklin some consideration for its expenditures on lighting and other improvements in the South 27th Street corridor.

The DOT's decision on the project is expected on Monday."

A couple of things:

Nice job by BizTimes.

And can the suburbs always find the dough to add more highway lanes, interchanges and the like?