Public meetings are set for Tuesday and Wednesday on a state study of possibly turning I-794 from an elevated to a surface- level roadway between the Milwaukee River and the Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee.
It's hardly the only big freeway project underway, or under discussion.
If you want a tricky driving experience, try cruising through the 14-mile I-43 North-South Project between Highway 60 in Grafton and Silver Spring Dr. in Glendale. Traffic lanes are narrow and shifted, as the freeway is being expanded from four lanes to six, five interchanges are being reconstructed and another interchange is being built. Relief for motorists is on the way — gradually.
Construction crews have begun using a huge concrete paving machine to slowly lay down new lanes south of Grafton.
But patience is helpful for this massive project. Parts of it will continue into 2025.
Another noisemaker has been the Zoo Interchange North Leg on I-41, from roughly Swan Blvd. to Burleigh St. in Wauwatosa. The Wisconsin DOT website says things will finally wrap up by this fall.
Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson says it's a lively time.
"So, there is just a tremendous amount of infrastructure and transportation issues happening in this part of the state," he says.
And we haven't even gotten to the possible projects which are politically noisy. Neighborhood and environmental groups continue to wait for the state and federal governments to announce whether East-West I-94 from 16th Street to 70th will be rebuilt at its current six lanes or expanded to eight. A lawsuit is possible on that matter.
Next, the possible lowering of 794 to the surface level between the Milwaukee River and the Hoan Bridge. The DOT has those study meetings coming up. But there was also a recent downtown open house to discuss the roadway.
Isaiah Garcia, a student at Marquette University, says take down that section of 794.
"I think it really divides the city. It separates the Third Ward from the rest of the city. I know there's a big movement, and that group has modeled what a boulevard could look like, and there are alternatives that could better serve the city," Garcia tells WUWM.
South Milwaukee, Cudahy and St. Francis have all passed resolutions against lowering 794, saying that would hamper their employers easy access to downtown. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week that some downtown Milwaukee property owners are raising questions about a possible tear down.
Also controversial is another idea the DOT is considering —to make Highway 175 north of the Stadium Interchange a surface level road. At a Washington Park open house, Jon Rupprecht handed out flyers opposing the possible change. He says drivers would be frustrated.
"Well yeah! You're going from unimpeded freeway speeds to three stoplights in one mile. The traffic on Lisbon [Ave.] that feeds into this and exits is already jammed up. So, the whole freeway would be jammed up. It just makes no sense," Rupprecht maintains.
But William Steinke says he would like to see a surface, or grade-level, boulevard.
"Ideally with some protected bike lanes would be awesome. Whatever initiative they do, it would be great to have all of the streets in the area be able to get reconnected," he says.
Instead of, Steinke says, east-west roadways ending at the freeway or being funneled onto overpasses.
Terry Evans sees changing Hwy. 175 would bring people together.
"Always a cost issue. But I think if it's something that's going to benefit the community, you got to figure out a way to do it, you know," Evans says.
For the next three years at least, a lot of the figuring will be up to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. His transportation secretary, Thompson, describes his professional guiding philosophy.
"Number one, we have to look at safety. Safety has to be the most important. We do have to make sure, especially when going through an urban center like Milwaukee, that we're doing everything we can to keep the city connected," Thompson says.
Some of the changes the DOT is considering wouldn't occur for a few years. But then, if changes do happen, they'd likely to be in place for decades.
