Interstate 794 - History

History

The original plans for the Lake Freeway called for it begin at a connection to the proposed Park East Freeway north of its current point, then to continue from the Downtown Milwaukee area to Mitchell Airport. However, these were not realized at the freeway's original construction, leaving it unfinished for many years. This had led the Hoan Bridge to be called "The Bridge to Nowhere" as it sat with both of its end unconnected to any road for three years. This unfinished construction was used as the site of the car chase scene in the movie The Blues Brothers.

As part of his campaign against freeways in Milwaukee, Mayor John O. Norquist proposed to tear down of the I-794 portion of the east–west Freeway in 1995 in favor of a surface boulevard. He believed that the freeway was cutting off the Historic Third Ward from the rest of downtown Milwaukee. His effort failed when opposition to the removal mounted citing increased traffic volumes on the road as well as the new Lake Parkway nearing completion, which after opening, allowed traffic volumes to increase to 111,000 by 2004.

The Marquette Interchange construction project that was done between 2004 and 2008 rebuilt the viaduct section of I-794 between the interchange and the Milwaukee River.

In February 2010, Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik and South Milwaukee Mayor Tom Zepecki proposed a plan to expand I-794/Lake Parkway to Racine County. The expansion would follow an existing railroad corridor and was intended to relieve traffic along I-94.