MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The state of Wisconsin will pay a contractor a $4 million bonus for finishing the Marquette Interchange before Harley-Davidson's anniversary celebration starts next week.
Gov. Jim Doyle officially opened the freeway interchange in downtown Milwaukee on Tuesday, declaring all ramps and lanes open.
The state Department of Transportation offered Marquette Constructors LLC a $4 million bonus earlier this year if they finished before next Wednesday.
That's the day Harley-Davidson's 105th Anniversary Celebration starts, and state transportation officials expect tens of thousands of motorcyclists to flood the city.
Marquette Constructors' had a $315 million contract for core work on the nearly $800 million interchange. State officials say the project finished about three months early and $10 million under budget.