Lack of funding could delay Interstate 39/90 expansion

State officials want to delay construction of a 45-mile highway expansion between Madison and the Illinois state line.

The idea to delay the Interstate 39/90 expansion comes from the Department of Transportation as part of its budget request to Gov. Scott Walker's administration.

Without restored funding in the next state budget, the project could be delayed two years, according to the budget request.

The six-year project is projected to cost $715 million and was scheduled to begin in 2015.

The budget request also calls for a delay to reconstruction of the busiest interchange in Wisconsin: the Zoo Interchange in the Milwaukee area.

Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie did not say whether Walker would agree to the interchange construction delay, but noted the budget request is just the starting point for discussion on the issue.