The Wisconsin DOT began what’s going to be a long decision-making process Tuesday evening with the first of several public meetings to gather public comment on replacement or removal of I-794 in downtown Milwaukee.
Dozens showed up to the meeting, leaving hundreds of comments.
“(Replacing the freeway) is a bad idea. (It’s) a waste of money and continues the harmful split of the Third Ward from downtown,” one comment said.
(Removing the freeway) is a bad idea. (It) creates more traffic and safety concerns. Who benefits? Developers. Follow the money,” another said.
“We haven’t made any decisions and don’t have any preconceived notions,” said project manager David Pittman. “We want to ultimately come to the best decision for the downtown community and for the region as a whole.”
Attendees were guided through the DOT’s study of the freeway including current bridge conditions, existing roadway deficiencies, traffic safety and traffic patterns.
They were then presented with nine possibilities for the highway, ranging from replacement as is to full removal of the downtown section of the highway. Boards allowed people to leave comments on what the challenges and opportunities were for each option.
Nine concepts
In June, the DOT released nine possibilities for the freeway’s future. One calls for reconstructing the freeway as is; six concepts call for improving the freeway by increasing adjacent land available for development and reworking access points; and two call for removing the freeway from near the Hoan Bridge to the Marquette Interchange.
The removal concepts would make between 15.4 and 18.3 acres available for redevelopment; only about 3 acres of this land is currently developable. Removal would also make West Clybourn Street a two-way boulevard to fully eliminate the barrier the freeway creates between downtown’s East Town neighborhood and the Third Ward, and downtown’s Westown neighborhood and the Milwaukee Intermodal Station.
Freeway improvement concepts would make between 3.6 and 6.3 acres of land developable, reduce the number of on and off ramps and make Clybourn a two-way boulevard. These would also structurally improve the freeway which was built in the mid-1970s.
Public reaction
Many of the comments left were supportive of freeway removal, saying it would create a more attractive downtown, improve safety and open land for development.
“How would Milwaukee residents deal with such a massive quality of life improvement?” one comment said as a potential challenge of freeway removal. “It could be stressful.”
“I’m an urbanist,” one woman said while leaving a comment in support of freeway removal. “I’ve been an urbanist my whole life. I’d rather see more spaces for people.”
While some attendees discussed the broader ideas behind the various concepts, others were more focused on some of the details that could present challenges in the future.
“I’m wondering what’s in that ground beneath the freeway,” one man said. “Do we know if all that land would simply be ready for development if we took the freeway down?”
Attendee Dustin Fleming said he wants to see Milwaukee become a pioneer in removing freeways, mentioning the removal of the Park East freeway spur north of downtown in 2002.
“Each corridor stands on its own,” Pittman said. “The 794 corridor is a very important link for downtown, the Port (of Milwaukee) and south side communities. It provides a connection for those groups to the regional freeway network that the Park East maybe didn’t, but all options are still on the table.”
Background and next steps
The proposed freeway replacement project, expected to cost more than $300 million, would rebuild the elevated freeway between North Water Street and the Hoan Bridge, but last year the Rethink 794Â coalition called for the agency to study replacing Interstate 794 between North 6th Street and the Hoan Bridge with a boulevard.
Removal of the freeway was included in Milwaukee’s 2040 Downtown Plan, which received final approval this week.
The DOT has already begun gathering input from various stakeholders.
“WisDOT has partnered with business stakeholders in the area to form business advisory committees, as well as stakeholder advisory committees,” said Trevor Fannon, regional communications manager for the DOT.
These include members of city and county government, representatives from business improvement districts, chambers of commerce and large employers.
Pittman said there will be several more meetings as the DOT narrows down its options for I-794. After further review, including an environmental study, a preferred alternative will be selected.
Final design is to be completed in 2025 and 2026. Construction, if funded, would occur between 2026 and 2029.
