MILWAUKEE - Drivers got a break Saturday.
Eastbound I-94 was supposed to be shut down all weekend through the Zoo interchange, but crews were able to reopen it early.
The fact that I-94 reopened ahead of schedule was a surprise to many, considering the rain Milwaukee County had. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said rain alone isn't a problem for road work, but lightning and high winds would be.
Fortunately, there wasn't didn't see much of that Saturday, and now, we're looking at some happy faces. Paul Poetsch and his family had a good night at Zoo A La Carte. But, his afternoon was hectic.
"I was going down to the lakefront and it was shut down just after Moorland," Poetsch said.
Like thousands of other drivers, Poetsch had to try to find his way on city streets.
"So everybody had to get off on Moorland and loop around Greenfield. I mean they had signs and everything for the detour but, it was a hassle," Poetsch said.
For David Haro, the hassle long before this weekend's full freeway closure, which led him to find alternate routes.
"We take Highway 100 all the way up. We'll take the extra few minutes not knowing what the congestion is on the highway," he said.
Friday night, the DOT was ready for a long weekend - shutting down all lanes of eastbound I-94 between Highway 100 and 92nd street. That included the ramp for southbound 894. Drivers had to pack their patience.
"A little bit, yes. We try to avoid it like most people hopefully, yea," said Steve McEwan of Wauwatosa.
Crews got the work done about 13 hours early. Eastbound I-94 reopened to traffic around 5 p.m. Saturday. Even though the ramp's open again, Haro said he still won't take the freeway home. He's waiting for the entire Zoo Interchange to be done.
"I'm sure once it's done, it's gonna be fantastic. But right now, it's just a pain in the butt,"Haro said.
The DOT said they're not surprised the full freeway closure didn't last until Sunday. They scheduled a 31 hour shut down just in case the weather didn't cooperate.
