Home Ideas Government & Politics WisDOT narrows options for I-794 removal, replacement

WisDOT narrows options for I-794 removal, replacement

By
Hunter Turpin
-
Freeway removal option

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has shortlisted four alternatives for the future of I-794 in downtown Milwaukee.

The four remaining alternatives include one that keeps the highway as it is (replace in kind), two that would make improvements to the layout while retaining the highway and one that involves removal.

Both of the improvement options would narrow the freeway’s footprint, open up more land for open space and development and include converting Clybourn Street into a two-way boulevard.

The removal option, which would also include converting Clybourn into a two-way boulevard, would open up nine full blocks for development, mostly east of the Milwaukee River.

WisDOT is planning its next round of public meetings for this spring, though dates have not yet been announced. The last public meetings were in August 2023.

Significantly more detailed plans and analyses will be shared at the upcoming meetings, WisDOT has said, including traffic analysis, freeway and local street configurations, multimodal accommodations and initial land use and development information.

Also this year, WisDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), plan to issue a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS, which can be a lengthy process, will detail the project’s purpose and need, consider the range of alternatives and analyze potential environmental impacts in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

A final decision will not be made until at least 2027, according to the most recent information from WisDOT.

Citing aging infrastructure, WisDOT has long been planning to reconstruct I-794 in a project expected to cost more than $300 million. In 2022, however, the Rethink 794 coalition called for the agency to study replacing the elevated freeway between North 6th Street and the Hoan Bridge with a boulevard.

In 2023, WisDOT released nine possibilities for the freeway’s future. One called for reconstructing the freeway as is; six concepts called for improving the freeway by increasing adjacent land available for development and reworking access points; and two called for removing the freeway from near the Hoan Bridge to the Marquette Interchange.

Previously, WisDOT estimated making a final decision on I-794 in 2025 or 2026.

Hunter Turpin
Hunter covers commercial and residential real estate for BizTimes. He previously wrote for the Waukesha Freeman and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A graduate of UW-Milwaukee, with a degree in journalism and urban studies, he was news editor of the UWM Post. He has received awards from the Milwaukee Press Club and Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Hunter likes cooking, gardening and 2000s girly pop.
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The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has shortlisted four alternatives for the future of I-794 in downtown Milwaukee. The four remaining alternatives include one that keeps the highway as it is (replace in kind), two that would make improvements to the layout while retaining the highway and one that involves removal. [gallery size="full" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="610252,610250,610249,610251"] Both of the improvement options would narrow the freeway's footprint, open up more land for open space and development and include converting Clybourn Street into a two-way boulevard. The removal option, which would also include converting Clybourn into a two-way boulevard, would open up nine full blocks for development, mostly east of the Milwaukee River. WisDOT is planning its next round of public meetings for this spring, though dates have not yet been announced. The last public meetings were in August 2023. Significantly more detailed plans and analyses will be shared at the upcoming meetings, WisDOT has said, including traffic analysis, freeway and local street configurations, multimodal accommodations and initial land use and development information. Also this year, WisDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), plan to issue a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS, which can be a lengthy process, will detail the project’s purpose and need, consider the range of alternatives and analyze potential environmental impacts in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. A final decision will not be made until at least 2027, according to the most recent information from WisDOT. Citing aging infrastructure, WisDOT has long been planning to reconstruct I-794 in a project expected to cost more than $300 million. In 2022, however, the Rethink 794 coalition called for the agency to study replacing the elevated freeway between North 6th Street and the Hoan Bridge with a boulevard. In 2023, WisDOT released nine possibilities for the freeway’s future. One called for reconstructing the freeway as is; six concepts called for improving the freeway by increasing adjacent land available for development and reworking access points; and two called for removing the freeway from near the Hoan Bridge to the Marquette Interchange. Previously, WisDOT estimated making a final decision on I-794 in 2025 or 2026.
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