State To Reveal New I-794 Cost Estimates

Interstate 794 between Downtown and the Historic Third Ward. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The debate over the future of Interstate 794 through downtown Milwaukee is set to enter a new phase later this month as state transportation officials unveil new analysis and seek additional public input.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced Tuesday it will host two public involvement meetings for the I-794 Lake Interchange Study, offering residents a chance to review updated findings and weigh in on competing design options for the aging freeway corridor.

According to the agency, new materials presented at the meetings will include updated freight analysis, land use market studies and estimated project costs for each of the three alternatives.

The analysis is expected to build on earlier traffic modeling that has already drawn scrutiny from boulevard proponents and concerns from suburban commuters.

The open house-style meetings are scheduled for Thursday, April 30, and Tuesday, May 5. Both sessions will run from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will include informational displays and opportunities to speak directly with project staff.

The meetings come as WisDOT continues evaluating three primary alternatives for the corridor between the Marquette Interchange and the Hoan Bridge: rebuilding the elevated freeway as it exists today, reconstructing it with modifications, or removing it in favor of a surface-level boulevard.

The roughly one-mile-long elevated segment, constructed in the 1970s, has reached the point where replacement is required because of its age and condition.

Advocates with the Rethink 794 coalition have continued to push for a boulevard alternative, arguing it could reconnect neighborhoods and unlock significant redevelopment potential. Opponents, including some business groups and south suburban commuters, warn that removing the freeway could worsen congestion on nearby routes, particularly Interstate 43, and shift more traffic onto local streets.

The upcoming meetings also follow a series of “Walk & Roll” events organized by boulevard supporters aimed at building public awareness and influencing the conversation ahead of a key decision.

Materials presented at the meetings will be posted online following the events. A formal recommendation on a preferred alternative is expected later this year. Design work on the reconstruction is expected to be completed by 2030, with construction timing subject to the availability of funding.

The project, which early estimates indicated could cost $300 million, would rebuild the elevated freeway between N. Water Street and the Hoan Bridge. In 2022, the Rethink 794 coalition called on WisDOT to study replacing the freeway between N. 6th Street and the Hoan Bridge with a boulevard. WisDOT reviewed multiple boulevard concepts and has included one option in its final four alternatives. Under all scenarios, the Hoan Bridge would remain.

Meeting Schedule

Thursday, April 30
Milwaukee Marriott Downtown
625 N. Milwaukee St.
4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 5
St. Francis High School
4225 S. Lake Dr.
4 to 7 p.m.

April 2025 Design Alternatives