Milwaukee I-794: WisDOT hearings give public option to share feedback

Milwaukee I-794: Public weighs in on options

WisDOT is hosting public hearings to decide the future of the 50-year-old I-794 Lake Interchange, which stretches from the Marquette Interchange to the Hoan Bridge.

MILWAUKEE - Rethinking I-794 is what a public hearing at the Milwaukee Marriott is all about on Thursday, April 30. This, as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) looks for feedback on the proposed project. 

Public hearing on I-794

What we know:

Thursday's meeting is one of two open house sessions where people can learn about the I-794 Lake Interchange study. The stretch of freeway is more than 50 years old. 

The purpose of the project is to address deteriorating infrastructure and enhance community connectivity. 

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The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is looking at alternatives for the I-794 Lake Interchange corridor – from the Marquette Interchange to the Hoan Bridge. 

DOT officials are looking at whether to replace the stretch of highway, improve it with a new design, or tear it down altogether. 

One study showed removing the freeway could add up to 20 minutes to some rush hour commutes. But people in favor of the removing the freeway say it could open up economic opportunities. 

What they're saying:

"Within the market study they will be able to see how each alternative, the potential surplus land, could be valued in the future and also absorption rates we are looking at," said David Pittman, WisDOT project manager. "Traffic has been a really important factor, but all these things we are studying, we are studying because people wonder about these things so we really want to get those answers."

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One more public hearing

What's next:

If you could not make it to the Thursday meeting, there is another scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, at St. Francis High School (4225 S. Lake Drive). The open house will be held from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.