A motorcyclist in his mid-30s was seriously injured overnight after crashing into a safety barrier near Milwaukee's Marquette Interchange, shutting down all northbound lanes of I-43 for several hours before traffic resumed. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office closed the highway following the crash, which happened near the split for the 10th Street exit.
According to WISN Channel 12 Milwaukee, the crash occurred around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, and the sheriff's office said the motorcyclist crashed into a safety barrier. A separate report from fox6now.com says emergency responders from Bell Ambulance, the Milwaukee Fire Department and the sheriff's office arrived at the scene around 1:36 a.m.
A crash reconstruction unit responded to collect evidence and map out the scene, the station's report notes. Northbound I-43 reopened around 4:30 a.m., and as of the update, authorities had not released further information on the motorcyclist's condition. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, per the same account.
Motorcycle Crashes at the Interchange This Year
Wednesday's motorcycle crash prompted authorities to shut down part of the Marquette Interchange. On June 14, a fatal single-vehicle motorcycle crash closed part of the interchange, according to fox6now.com. In that incident, the sheriff's office said the circumstances were under investigation, and the system ramp connecting I-94 East to I-43 North, along with part of the Kilbourn Tunnels, was closed before reopening around 1:30 p.m.
The Marquette Interchange, one of the busiest highway junctions in Wisconsin, has also seen closures tied to non-motorcycle crashes. I-43 northbound at North Avenue reopened after a crash, according to wtmj.com. The outlet reported on the crash at the time.
Investigation Ongoing
As with the June crash, investigators have not yet determined what led to Wednesday's collision. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office has not released additional details about the motorcyclist's condition beyond confirming he was seriously injured, and the case remains open as the crash reconstruction unit's findings are reviewed.
