The federal government is helping Milwaukee out of a jam – a traffic jam.
A $91 million Menomonee Valley rail project will ease congestion on train tracks, reduce traffic backups at nearby railroad crossings and clear the way for more Amtrak service to Chicago and possibly other cities, state officials say.
Amtrak shares tracks with Canadian Pacific Kansas City freight trains in Milwaukee, and CPKC freight trains pass through Downtown’s Intermodal Station.
That means freight trains wait outside when Amtrak trains stop at the station, and sometimes passenger trains wait for freight trains. The idling trains block crossings, frustrating drivers and pedestrians, says state rail chief Lisa Stern. That’s been an obstacle to adding more passenger service.
The Muskego Yard bypass project will end those bottlenecks by building a new two-track spur for freight trains to avoid the station and, in most cases, the railroad crossings as well, Stern says.
It’s being funded by $72.8 million in recently approved federal cash, matched by $7 million from Amtrak and $11.2 million from the state.
With that funding approved, plans can move forward for an eighth Amtrak round trip to Chicago, starting in 2026, Stern says. Studies are now under way on increasing trips to Chicago and the Twin Cities and possibly new service to Madison, Green Bay and Eau Claire.
