I-794 Lake Interchange Study - Frequently Asked Questions

This page will continue to be updated as the study advances.

Who is conducting the I-794 Lake Interchange Study?

Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) Southeast Region initiated the study in 2022 in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and in close coordination with the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County.

What are the limits of the study?

The study is focused on aging infrastructure along a section of I-794 known as the Lake Interchange. The Lake Interchange study corridor is located between the Marquette Interchange (where I-94, I-43 and I-794 meet) and the Hoan Bridge. This stretch of I-794 connects Milwaukee’s freeway system to downtown Milwaukee, the Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee’s Lakefront, Port Milwaukee and communities along the north shore and south shore.

Why is WisDOT studying this corridor?

The purpose of the study is to address deteriorating infrastructure in a manner that improves safety and operations on I-794, while also striving to enhance community connectivity and compatibility with local plans and development. The study is driven by a number of project needs:

Bridge Conditions: There are 28 original bridge units in the study corridor, constructed in the 1970s, that are approaching the end of their useful life.
Substandard Roadway Design and Geometric Features: Several areas have been identified on the existing facility where roadway design standards are not met, contributing to safety concerns along the corridor.
Safety Conditions: The crash rate on the I-794 mainline from the Marquette Interchange to the Hoan Bridge exceeds the four-lane freeway statewide average during the five-year analysis period of 2016 to 2020.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations: Bicycle and pedestrian travel is an important travel mode within the study corridor. There is a lack of continuous non-motorist infrastructure on the surface street network and there are multiple five leg intersections that create potentially unsafe conflict points between pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
System Linkages: I-794 connects Milwaukee’s freeway system to downtown Milwaukee, the Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee’s Lakefront, Port Milwaukee and communities along the north shore and south shore.
Traffic Operations: Lake Interchange carries 73,900 vehicles daily east of the Milwaukee River and 42,500 vehicles daily at the Hoan Bridge. Approximately 26,600 vehicles travel through the interchange on a daily basis, using the I-794 mainline to connect to the regional freeway system.
Land Use and Community Compatibility: There is an opportunity to increase community connectivity and enhance activation within Milwaukee’s downtown and the Historic Third Ward neighborhoods, and improve the compatibility of transportation infrastructure with local plans and development for the Lake Interchange corridor.

What is the current status and overall schedule for the study?

The I-794 Lake Interchange Study is currently in the Alternatives Definition Phase. In this phase, WisDOT has identified alternatives and defined their elements. The defined alternatives include options from each group: No Build, Replace in Kind, Freeway Removal and Freeway Improvement. There will be many opportunities for the public to engage with WisDOT on the review of alternatives for the corridor and share feedback before any final decisions are made. Later this year, WisDOT will host public involvement meetings to kickoff the environmental review phase, share additional details of the alternatives and provide detailed findings on traffic, multimodal accommodations and other analyses.

What is the existing traffic on the I-794 Lake Interchange?

The mainline (eastbound and westbound) annual average of daily traffic in 2022 was 73,900 vehicles at the Milwaukee River, with trucks making up 3.1%, and 42,500 vehicles at the Hoan Bridge, with trucks making up 3.7%. I-794 is an important route for freight and delivery to and from Port Milwaukee. Detailed traffic analysis will be provided at the Public Involvement Meeting #2, which will be held later this year.

Will the I-794 freeway be removed?

At this early stage of the study, no decisions have been made. Freeway Removal Concepts, which would remove the interstate designation and utilize the at-grade street network, are currently being evaluated alongside Replace In Kind and Freeway Improvement Concepts. Alternatives will be evaluated based on purpose and need, stakeholder feedback, impacts, constructability, costs and other factors.

Will the Hoan Bridge be removed?

None of the alternatives being evaluated include the full removal of the Hoan Bridge. Some alternatives would impact/reconstruct portions of the Hoan Bridge at the north end, but all the alternatives keep the bridge elevated above the Milwaukee Harbor, Henry Maier Festival Park and Jones Island similar to today.

Where can I find past meeting materials?

Visit the outreach page to view materials shown at the May 2025 Public Update Meeting and August 2023 Public Involvement Meeting #1.

When is the next public involvement meeting?

WisDOT hosted a public update meeting on May 29, 2025. The meeting was an opportunity to learn the latest on the study, understand the process, preview the defined alternatives and engage with WisDOT staff and representatives. The defined alternatives include options from each group: No Build, Replace in Kind, Freeway Removal and Freeway Improvement.

Later this year, WisDOT, in collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), plans to issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). During this process, WisDOT will host a series of public involvement meetings to share additional details of the alternatives, and provide detailed findings on traffic, multimodal accommodations and other analyses, and gather your feedback.

All the alternative groups will proceed to the Environmental Review phase. Through the Environmental Impact Statement, an alternative will be selected for implementation.

Frequently Asked Questions