Work has begun on an expansion project for the train station at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, aimed at improving on-and-off-boarding of train passengers taking the Amtrak Hiawatha Line between Chicago and Milwaukee.
Dubbed the “
Milwaukee Airport Rail Station Second Platform and Pedestrian Overpass Project,” the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) project involves adding a west-side platform and a pedestrian overpass connecting the existing station to the new platform.
The Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station (MARS) serves rail passengers connecting to flights at Mitchell, along with rail-only passengers utilizing Amtrak’s Hiawatha service. The 1,600-square-foot heated facility includes restrooms and a seating area. A free shuttle bus connects rail passengers to the airport terminal itself.
Currently the platform, which is located at 5601 S. 6th Street, along the western edge of the airport, only has one permanent platform on the east side of the tracks, which means passengers can only get on and off the train in one location. Having only one passenger platform can slow passenger on-and-off boarding and cause delays for Amtrak and freight trains that use the same track, WisDOT says.
Funded by a 2017 Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant, the expansion project will include the construction of an 800-foot-long concrete platform west of the tracks, elevator towers on the east and west sides of the tracks, an overhead pedestrian bridge, and 0.6 miles of track surfacing along with some tie renewal.
In addition to improving mobility, the project will also help prepare the corridor for future passenger rail service expansion, WisDOT says.
Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service operates over track owned by commuter rail service Metra between Chicago Union Station and Green Oaks, Ill., and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) from Green Oaks, Ill. to the Milwaukee Intermodal Station in downtown Milwaukee. MARS opened in 2005 and is one of the only rail stations in the Amtrak system that offers direct access to an airport, according to WisDOT.
Construction work on the MARS expansion project began last week, according to WisDOT, and is expected to wrap up in June of 2025.
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Project rendering from WisDOT.[/caption]
