See Costs, New Details For 794 Replacement Options

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

Major new information on possible replacement options for Interstate 794 was released Thursday at an open house meeting hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

For the first time, data about the estimated cost, safety and development potential of the three different options under study for the elevated freeway segment between the Marquette Interchange and Hoan Bridge was presented. Earlier meetings included traffic models on estimated traffic impacts from the rebuild-as-is, slimmed-down freeway and freeway-to-boulevard options.

WisDOT is pursuing the project, which would begin construction in 2030 at the earliest, because it believes the elevated freeway east of the Milwaukee River is nearing the end of its useful life and will require replacement regardless of the design option selected. The concrete structure was constructed in the 1970s.

The state, in consultation with cooperating agencies, regional stakeholders and the Federal Highway Administration, will recommend a preferred alternative in 2027. David Pittman, WisDOT study manager, said he expects a public hearing, where formal comment is accepted on the proposal, would be held in early 2027.

Even though a design will be selected in 2027, the earliest construction could start is 2030. And that could be delayed. “Right now, we’re not currently funded for construction. So once we determine what the preferred alternative is, we’ll go to the Legislature and ask for those funds to be encumbered, and then we’ll determine what our construction date is,” said Pittman during Thursday’s meeting at the Milwaukee Marriott Downtown. Construction on the nearby Interstate 94 expansion and reconstruction project is expected to last until 2033.

A second public meeting, with the same content from Thursday, is being held on May 5 at St. Francis High School from 4 to 7 p.m. A comment form and more information is available on the WisDOT website.

Development potential

WisDOT worked with SB Friedman and other stakeholders to develop its real estate estimates based on a 2050 timeline and past market demand. Based on market data, the analysis concluded that a mix of hotels, residential units and office space would be developed.

• Rebuild as-is: $150 million to $210 million on the 2.7-acre site created in the earlier Hoan Bridge/Lake Interchange reconfiguration
• Slim improvement: $280 million on 5.1 acres of developable land
• Boulevard: $790 million ($270-$490 million by 2050) on 16 acres of land. The analysis assumes a full buildout by 2060, since initial development wouldn’t occur until construction finishes in 2038. Full buildout, according to the estimates, would produce $16 million in annual property tax revenue.

Costs vary across options

Newly released estimates show significant differences in cost among the three primary alternatives:

• Rebuild as-is: $425-$575 million
• Slim freeway with right-side ramps: $725 million-$1 billion
• Slim freeway ramps: $675-$900 million
• Boulevard: $850 million-$1.25 billion

The high cost of the boulevard option can be attributed in part to the design options WisDOT has selected. It includes the greatest amount of new surface street construction, at 11 miles, compared with 6.5 miles for the improvement options, while also requiring three miles of elevated structures.

The cost estimates are “year of expenditure” figures that estimate inflation for the year of construction and include engineering, utility relocation and related real estate acquisition.

Crash data and safety impacts

Officials also presented updated crash data for the corridor, emphasizing safety as a key factor in the decision.

The display boards did not include data on the estimated severity of crashes.

• Slim freeway: 1% reduction in annual crashes, driven by a 28% reduction on 794 but a 20% increase on Downtown streets
• Boulevard: 6% increase in crashes, driven by an 84% reduction in the broader 794 study area, but a 48% increase on downtown streets and, based on traffic models, a 10% increase on neighboring freeways

Freight analysis

A detailed freight usage analysis was available for the first time. Data was displayed on monthly totals and, based on cellphone data, estimated trip patterns. Truck traffic is largely consolidated to the daytime hours and peaks during summer months because of agricultural traffic to the port.

Rethink 794 Reaction

Members of the Rethink 794 coalition, which successfully advocated for WisDOT to study the boulevard option, raised concerns with some of the assumptions in the latest proposal.

“A clear option is less obvious than leaders assume. Replace-in-kind doesn’t meet DOT’s safety standards, freeway improvement makes traffic worse east of the river, removal integrates with the grid surprisingly well,” said architect Taylor Korslin, a Rethink 794 volunteer.

“I don’t understand how it’s 10 times more expensive than Park East removal (in today’s dollars),” said real estate consultant Montavius Jones. “The costs of highway projects are baffling; at least in removal you have offsetting redevelopment value.”

Advocates with the Rethink 794 coalition have argued a boulevard could reconnect downtown to the lakefront and spur redevelopment, while opponents warn of increased congestion and diverted traffic. In a press release in advance of the meeting, the group cited the Park East Freeway removal process from two years ago that resulted in a second study of the freeway removal option showing that trips would be diverted differently than WisDOT assumed. Travel times to many downtown destinations were reduced because of new options created by an expanded street grid.

April 2026 I-794 project meeting. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Key New Display Boards

Full slides are available on the WisDOT project website.

WisDOT Meeting Video

November 2025 Meeting – Selected Project Display Boards

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April 2025 Design Alternatives

UPDATE: The location of the May 5 hearing was updated