South side neighborhood sees traffic jams during construction

IMPORTANT LOCAL COVERAGE. YOU’RE WATCHING WISN 12 NEWS AT FIVE. >> AND FIRST HERE AT FIVE. CONSTRUCTION FRUSTRATION ON MILWAUKEE’S SOUTH SIDE NEWS CHOPPER 12 GIVING US AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE GROWING NUMBER OF ORANGE BARRELS AND BARRICADES IN THAT AREA. SO HERE’S A LOOK AT THE CLOSURES AND WHERE THEY STAND RIGHT NOW. NATIONAL AVENUE FROM 27 TO 30 NINTH STREET IS TORN UP, ONLY ALLOWING WESTBOUND TRAFFIC. TODAY, CREWS CLOSED THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF 35TH STREET, WHICH MEANS NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC ON 35TH HAS TO DETOUR BEFORE GETTING ONTO THE 35TH STREET VIADUCT. WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE FROM THE AIR AND THE GROUND. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH 12 NEWS HANNAH HILYARD IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND NEWS TRACKER 12 HANNAH. >> YEAH. BLAKE. THE RESIDENTS HERE IN THIS AREA, THEY WARNED ME ABOUT THE EVENING RUSH HOUR. I AM HERE NEAR 32ND AND OUR 31ST. EXCUSE ME. AND SCOTT, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT IS A VERY RESIDENTIAL AREA. WE HAVE A SCHOOL HERE, A CARS PARKED ON EITHER SIDE, AND IT’S NARROW AND WE ARE IN A LINE OF CARS RIGHT NOW BEHIND OFF IN THE DISTANCE, A SCHOOL BUS. THIS RESIDENTIAL STREET RIGHT NOW, ABSORBING THE TRAFFIC YOU NORMALLY SEE ON NATIONAL AVENUE, A MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ON AND AROUND NATIONAL AVENUE IS NOW CAUSING TRAFFIC JAMS ON THE RESIDENTIAL ROAD OF SCOTT STREET. THE MORNING RUSH, SHOWN EXCLUSIVELY. >> DON’T STAY WITH THE CLOSURE ALL THE WAY TO SCOTT, OR YOU’RE GOING TO BE STUCK AND SNARLED IN A TERRIBLE DELAY. >> FROM NEWS CHOPPER 12. >> TRAFFIC THAT I DON’T WANT TO SEE GOING DOWN MY BLOCK. >> LIKE, ARE WE TALKING BUMPER TO BUMPER? >> OH YEAH. ALMOST. >> NOW, ANOTHER DETOUR FOR THOSE HEADING NORTHBOUND LOOKING TO CROSS THE 35TH STREET VIADUCT. >> IT MAKES IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO THE GROCERY STORE. >> SPEAKING OF GROCERY STORES, WE ARE HERE AT THE ALDI AT 35TH AND GREENFIELD, AND WE WANT TO TRY AND GET BACK TO THE WISN 12 NEWS STATION. GOOGLE MAPS, WITHOUT THE DETOUR SAYS IT WILL TAKE NINE MINUTES, BUT WE ARE GOING TO PUT THAT TO THE TEST. STARTING THE CLOCK, WE TURNED LEFT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT ONTO 35TH STREET. THE POSTED DETOUR SIGNS RECOMMEND TURNING RIGHT ON GREENFIELD, SO WE DID THAT. THE ROAD CLOSURES FORCING US TO GO EIGHT BLOCKS EAST BEFORE TURNING LEFT ONTO LAYTON AVENUE. THAT VIADUCT IS CLOSED, SO WE HAD TO TURN LEFT ONTO NATIONAL. IT TOOK US NINE MINUTES JUST TO GET BACK TO 35TH STREET, TWO BLOCKS NORTH OF WHERE WE STARTED. WE EVENTUALLY MADE IT ACROSS THE VIADUCT, TURNING RIGHT ON WELLES TOWARD WISN 12, MAKING IT THERE IN 15 MINUTES AND 39 SECONDS. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ADJUST OR CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE? >> I DON’T DRIVE. >> NEIGHBORS LIKE VICKI ECKHARDT DREAMING OF A DAY WITHOUT CONSTRUCTION. WHAT WAS IT LIKE ON SCOTT STREET BEFORE ALL THE. >> QUIET? IT’S NICE AND QUIET. WE DIDN’T HAVE A RUSH HOUR HERE. NOW WE HAVE A RUSH HOUR LIKE WE’RE. WE’VE TAKEN NATIONAL AVENUE PLACE. >> AND HANNAH, THE 35TH AND NATIONAL PROJECT, EXPECTED TO LAST A COUPLE OF WEEKS. >> YEAH. SO IT’S EXPECTED TO LAST UNTIL AT LEAST JULY. THIS ENTIRE UNDERTAKING, THE NATIONAL AVENUE PROJECT, IS A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AS WELL AS THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE. D.O.T. HAS PREVIOUSLY SAID THAT THEY APPRECIATE THE TRAVELERS PATIENCE THROUGH THIS CONSTRUCTION SEASON. THEY RECOMMEND FOLKS PAY ATTENTION TO 511 FOR THE LATEST ROAD CLOSURES, AS WELL AS THOSE DETOURS SO YOU’RE NOT CAUGHT BY SURPRISE WHEN YOU’RE OUT ON THE ROADS. >> YEAH, CERTAINLY CAN UNDERSTAND THE NEIGHBORS FRUSTRATION THERE. HANNAH HILYARD REPORTING LIVE FOR US IN NEWS TRACKER 12 TONIGHT AT FIVE MATT SALEMME CONTINUES OUR TEAM COVERAGE IN NEWS CHOPPER 12 WITH AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK FROM THE AIR AT THE ALTERNATE ROUTES. >> HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO DO. TURN ON TO GREENFIELD. YOU CAN TAKE GREENFIELD ALL THE WAY OUT TO BREWERS BOULEVARD OR 43RD STREET, AND YOU CAN CROSS OVER ONTO THE NORTH SIDE THAT WAY, OR YOU CAN TAKE GREENFIELD ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SIXTH STREET VIADUCT OR THE FREEWAY, AND YOU CAN CROSS THE VIADUCT GOING NORTHBOUND USING SIXTH STREET. SO GREENFIELD AVENUE, YOU SHOULD BAIL THERE. DON’T STAY ALL THE WAY UNTIL IT’S ACTUALL

‘We have a rush hour’: South side neighborhood sees traffic jams during construction

Ongoing construction on National Avenue is causing detours and delays, frustrating drivers and residents living on nearby side streets.

Updated: 6:20 PM CDT May 28, 2026

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Construction on National Avenue in Milwaukee’s south side is causing traffic delays and detours, with closures impacting drivers and those who live nearby. National Avenue, from South 27th to South 39th streets, is torn up, allowing only westbound traffic. Thursday, crews closed the southeast corner of 35th Street, forcing northbound traffic to detour before accessing the South 35th Street viaduct. It’s pushing a lot of traffic onto residential roads like Scott Street. Neighbors in the area are voicing their frustrations about the increased traffic. “There’s a lot of traffic that I don’t want to see going down my block,” said Dale Hinz, a neighbor.When asked if the traffic was bumper to bumper, Hinz replied, “Oh yeah, almost.”Another neighbor, Vicki Eckhart, shared her challenges. “It makes it almost impossible to get to the grocery store,” Eckart said. “What was it like on Scott Street before all this construction?” Eckhart was asked.”Quiet. It was nice and quiet. We didn’t have a rush hour here, and now we have a rush hour. Like we’ve taken National Avenue’s place,” she said.The South 35th Street and National Avenue intersection project is expected to last until July. The entire undertaking is a joint effort between the state and the city of Milwaukee. The Department of Transportation has previously expressed appreciation for the public’s patience and recommends checking 511 for traffic impacts and detours.Top Headlines Milwaukee father and veteran shot, killed over noise complaint, family says Menomonee Falls police chase ends in crash, paralyzing two passengers Wisconsin reports first mpox cases of 2026WATCH Body camera footage shows police arrest Wauwatosa’s suspected mail thief

MILWAUKEE —

Construction on National Avenue in Milwaukee’s south side is causing traffic delays and detours, with closures impacting drivers and those who live nearby.

National Avenue, from South 27th to South 39th streets, is torn up, allowing only westbound traffic. Thursday, crews closed the southeast corner of 35th Street, forcing northbound traffic to detour before accessing the South 35th Street viaduct.

It’s pushing a lot of traffic onto residential roads like Scott Street.

Neighbors in the area are voicing their frustrations about the increased traffic.

“There’s a lot of traffic that I don’t want to see going down my block,” said Dale Hinz, a neighbor.

When asked if the traffic was bumper to bumper, Hinz replied, “Oh yeah, almost.”

Another neighbor, Vicki Eckhart, shared her challenges.

“It makes it almost impossible to get to the grocery store,” Eckart said.

“What was it like on Scott Street before all this construction?” Eckhart was asked.

“Quiet. It was nice and quiet. We didn’t have a rush hour here, and now we have a rush hour. Like we’ve taken National Avenue’s place,” she said.

The South 35th Street and National Avenue intersection project is expected to last until July. The entire undertaking is a joint effort between the state and the city of Milwaukee. The Department of Transportation has previously expressed appreciation for the public’s patience and recommends checking 511 for traffic impacts and detours.

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