The I-94 North-South expressway will be rebuilt at a cost of $496 million, widening the road from three lanes to four two-way lanes to provide a completely different driving experience, foreign media reported.
The 18.5-mile highway upgrade from College Avenue south to Kenosha County 142 is designed to ease traffic, which is expected to reach 100,000 to 200,000 vehicles a day by 2034, up from 83,000 to 153,000 today, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Wisconsin officials also said the upgrade will help Foxconn Technology Group automate the movement of goods and people at its Mount Pleasant campus.
Wisconsin received a $160 million grant for the project from the U.S. Department of Transportation in June, and technological upgrades inside the highway are a highlight.
But widespread autonomous driving still faces regulatory hurdles, and the auto industry is working to address some of the issues, including fatalities caused by certain test cars, such as those from Uber and Tesla.
A spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says they can’t be sure what innovations will be made when all eight lanes of I-94 open by 2020.
“No one knows for sure,” says Michael Pyritz of the Department of Transportation. “It’s a rapidly evolving technology.”
Foxconn, in a statement, did not provide details on when the self-driving cars would be used. But it says it considers autonomous driving an integral part of its $10 billion production of liquid crystal displays.
Wisconsin’s grant application to federal officials described how self-driving vehicles could be used to transport goods and people from Braun Road and Highway KR east of I-94 to the Foxconn plant.
CAV equipment north and south of I-94 is also installed at the zoo interchange, including: closed-circuit television, dynamic information signs, microwave detectors reporting travel times and congestion in real time, and fiber optic communications.
Pyritz said the technology that will be used on the North-South highway will be the cornerstone of later upgrades. “We are investing more in technology in our infrastructure, and we need to scale up to meet market demand,” he said.
The vehicles are capable of carrying 4,000 Foxconn workers a shift back and forth from the parking lot west of I-94, according to transportation department documents.
So far, airport officials have not intervened in Foxconn’s logistics plans.
“Airports are aware of state and local discussions about autonomous lanes, but have not been involved in any detailed or formal planning process,” said Pat Rowe, airport marketing and public relations manager.
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