Milwaukee I-794 downtown; mayor backs boulevard replacement plan

Mayor backs I-794 reimagining for downtown

Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he would like to see a portion of I-794 through downtown be converted to a boulevard.

MILWAUKEE - The roadmap for growing Milwaukee might include removing part of a freeway.

At least, that's how Mayor Cavalier Johnson sees it. The mayor's comments Tuesday, April 16, are a clear indication of the city's stance. But at the end of the day, that decision won't be made here.

Just above their heads, the project is a little like pickleball. Only instead of the ball, it's opinions going back and forth.

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In August 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation collected opinions on what to do with the lake interchange, before receiving another publicly on Tuesday from the mayor.

Renderings via John Everitt and Greg Walthers

"It offers a chance to maximize growth and maximize investment while keeping transportation connectivity in the city," Johnson said.

Johnson voiced his support for removal, which would result in a boulevard instead. Renderings made for the Rethink 794 campaign show what that could look like.

Renderings via John Everitt and Greg Walthers

"We shouldn't be thinking about our commutes today," Johnson said. "We should be thinking about the city that we want in the future, 30 years from now. What's the downtown that our kids and our grandkids will inherit?"

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It’s one of three concepts that WisDOT is still studying to address the aging, mile-long stretch of I-794 from the north end of the Hoan Bridge to the Milwaukee River.

It could repair the freeway as is, replace it with one of six designs, or tear it down. The decision to settle the debate lives with WisDOT.

WisDOT will advance one proposal for each of the three concepts sometime this year.