News:

The AARoads Wiki is live! Come check it out!

Main Menu

The Rethink Interstate 794 Project

Started by WhyLifeIs4, February 26, 2024, 11:30:23 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

mgk920

I-794 would also be much more important today if the Park and Lake-South freeways were completed as originally planned.

Mike


Henry

To many moviegoers, the greatest memory of I-794 will always be when the Blues Brothers evade the Nazis by pulling an Evel Knievel off a ghost ramp.

That said, I don't think the freeway will be removed, despite the big push to get it done.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

The Ghostbuster

Those Evel Kenivel ramps in The Blues Brothers (1980) would have led to a northern continuation of the Lake Freeway (Exit 1F on existing Interstate 794), but they were torn down and connected with Lincoln Memorial Drive in 1983: https://wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/lake.html. The Lake Interchange has since been reconfigured, and will likely undergo a second reconfiguration if one of the Freeway Improvement alternatives is chosen (which is what I hope happens to 794).

mgk920

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on March 02, 2024, 04:22:39 PM
Those Evel Kenivel ramps in The Blues Brothers (1980) would have led to a northern continuation of the Lake Freeway (Exit 1F on existing Interstate 794), but they were torn down and connected with Lincoln Memorial Drive in 1983: https://wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/lake.html. The Lake Interchange has since been reconfigured, and will likely undergo a second reconfiguration if one of the Freeway Improvement alternatives is chosen (which is what I hope happens to 794).

I strongly suspect that if the 'dismantle and not replace' option is chosen, that that resulting intersection will be a two-lane roundabout.

Mike

OCGuy81

Apologies all, hoping the link works, but there's been some new renderings of what would happen if 794 was demolished. 

I feel it's very wishful thinking, though the renderings are pretty cool.

https://kuula.co/share/5wZBr?logo=-1&info=0&fs=0&vr=0&gyro=0&thumbs=1&margin=10

Henry

Quote from: OCGuy81 on July 31, 2024, 04:31:05 PMApologies all, hoping the link works, but there's been some new renderings of what would happen if 794 was demolished. 

I feel it's very wishful thinking, though the renderings are pretty cool.

https://kuula.co/share/5wZBr?logo=-1&info=0&fs=0&vr=0&gyro=0&thumbs=1&margin=10
The link works just fine for me, and so I got to check out the future drawings of Downtown Milwaukee (they look really awesome!).
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

Plutonic Panda

This is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

SEWIGuy

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?
No, I don't. But it would be logical to extend it and build a tunnel under the airport and connect it to I 94. That could act as a very useful bypass if there's anything happening on I 94.

SEWIGuy

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 02:59:31 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?
No, I don't. But it would be logical to extend it and build a tunnel under the airport and connect it to I 94. That could act as a very useful bypass if there's anything happening on I 94.

That is completely illogical.

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 03:07:32 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 02:59:31 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?
No, I don't. But it would be logical to extend it and build a tunnel under the airport and connect it to I 94. That could act as a very useful bypass if there's anything happening on I 94.

That is completely illogical.
How?

Big John

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 02:59:31 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?
No, I don't. But it would be logical to extend it and build a tunnel under the airport and connect it to I 94. That could act as a very useful bypass if there's anything happening on I 94.
Howell Ave / STH 38

mgk920

Existing streets work well for access to the MKE airport from the east.  794 would have worked well had it been built out as originally planned, as a six lane alternative to I-94 (the 'Lake freeway') southward to the Illinois state line.  As it is now, it is a four lane 'quasi-freeway' that connects the south lakefront area to the I-794 'Hoan' bridge.

Mike

Plutonic Panda

Even without my proposed extension, which, obviously in today's climate would never fly, What is tearing out this highway going to do? They're still gonna have to build a road. Looking on Google maps it goes through a pretty industrious area other than the mile or so that it slithers through downtown and it seems like there's other ways to reduce its impact on dividing the areas it goes through.

It also connects a big neighborhood south of downtown. So you're still going to have a lot of car traffic but now it'll be on a downgraded road. I don't see the good that it'll do.

SEWIGuy

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 03:13:11 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 03:07:32 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 02:59:31 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?
No, I don't. But it would be logical to extend it and build a tunnel under the airport and connect it to I 94. That could act as a very useful bypass if there's anything happening on I 94.

That is completely illogical.
How?


Way too expensive to bypass a highway that is usually easily managed...not to mention a bunch of surface streets that are just fine alternatives.

SEWIGuy

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 04:57:06 PMEven without my proposed extension, which, obviously in today's climate would never fly, What is tearing out this highway going to do? They're still gonna have to build a road. Looking on Google maps it goes through a pretty industrious area other than the mile or so that it slithers through downtown and it seems like there's other ways to reduce its impact on dividing the areas it goes through.

It also connects a big neighborhood south of downtown. So you're still going to have a lot of car traffic but now it'll be on a downgraded road. I don't see the good that it'll do.

Connecting the Third Ward better to downtown would be tremendous. The other traffic will find its way.

FightingIrish

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 02:59:31 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?
No, I don't. But it would be logical to extend it and build a tunnel under the airport and connect it to I 94. That could act as a very useful bypass if there's anything happening on I 94.
Definitely superfluous. Layton Ave, Howell Ave and College Ave, not to mention the rebuilt 8-lane (and more) I-41/94 and Mitchell Interchange can easily handle plenty of traffic.

The Ghostbuster

I wish they would hold another PIM to give updates on what they plan on doing to the Interstate 794 Lake Interchange Study corridor: https://www.794lakeinterchange.wisconsindot.gov/. The last PIM was a year ago, with an e-blast from February: https://assets-global.website-files.com/647f3615434dca744e168f93/65c1159443da67dca6e2b765_794-lake-interchange-study_FEB-Eblast.pdf.

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: FightingIrish on August 03, 2024, 11:02:09 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 02:59:31 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 02, 2024, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMThis is probably gonna happen, but I really wish it wouldn't. What a shame.

Do you have first-hand knowledge of the area?
No, I don't. But it would be logical to extend it and build a tunnel under the airport and connect it to I 94. That could act as a very useful bypass if there's anything happening on I 94.
Definitely superfluous. Layton Ave, Howell Ave and College Ave, not to mention the rebuilt 8-lane (and more) I-41/94 and Mitchell Interchange can easily handle plenty of traffic.

At any rate, I don't see how this is going to do anything to transform this part of the city other than downgrading a road and making flowing traffic less efficient in the area. What do they expect from tearing out this highway?

triplemultiplex

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 04:57:06 PMEven without my proposed extension, which, obviously in today's climate would never fly, What is tearing out this highway going to do? They're still gonna have to build a road. Looking on Google maps it goes through a pretty industrious area other than the mile or so that it slithers through downtown and it seems like there's other ways to reduce its impact on dividing the areas it goes through.

It also connects a big neighborhood south of downtown. So you're still going to have a lot of car traffic but now it'll be on a downgraded road. I don't see the good that it'll do.

The proposed teardown would only be for the short east-west portion between the Marquette Interchange and the lakefront.  The Hoan Bridge and Lake Parkway are not going anywhere.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

mgk920

Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 05, 2024, 10:38:45 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 04:57:06 PMEven without my proposed extension, which, obviously in today's climate would never fly, What is tearing out this highway going to do? They're still gonna have to build a road. Looking on Google maps it goes through a pretty industrious area other than the mile or so that it slithers through downtown and it seems like there's other ways to reduce its impact on dividing the areas it goes through.

It also connects a big neighborhood south of downtown. So you're still going to have a lot of car traffic but now it'll be on a downgraded road. I don't see the good that it'll do.

The proposed teardown would only be for the short east-west portion between the Marquette Interchange and the lakefront.  The Hoan Bridge and Lake Parkway are not going anywhere.

There have been proposals from the 'usual suspects' over the past couple of decades to narrow the Hoan Bridge by restriping it and even re-engineering it (now a lightly used, due to the 'system's incomplete nature, six lane freeway) as four lanes with even bicycle lanes or pathways.  I have always considered those thoughts to be impractical.

Mike

SEWIGuy

Quote from: mgk920 on August 05, 2024, 11:48:43 AM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 05, 2024, 10:38:45 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 04:57:06 PMEven without my proposed extension, which, obviously in today's climate would never fly, What is tearing out this highway going to do? They're still gonna have to build a road. Looking on Google maps it goes through a pretty industrious area other than the mile or so that it slithers through downtown and it seems like there's other ways to reduce its impact on dividing the areas it goes through.

It also connects a big neighborhood south of downtown. So you're still going to have a lot of car traffic but now it'll be on a downgraded road. I don't see the good that it'll do.

The proposed teardown would only be for the short east-west portion between the Marquette Interchange and the lakefront.  The Hoan Bridge and Lake Parkway are not going anywhere.

There have been proposals from the 'usual suspects' over the past couple of decades to narrow the Hoan Bridge by restriping it and even re-engineering it (now a lightly used, due to the 'system's incomplete nature, six lane freeway) as four lanes with even bicycle lanes or pathways.  I have always considered those thoughts to be impractical.

Mike

Yeah, there are much easier (and safer) ways to get from downtown to the Bayview neighborhood than taking the Hoan Bridge on a bike.

The Ghostbuster

I still support retaining the freeway to tearing it down. As long as all existing left-hand exit and entrance ramps are replaced with ones on the right-hand side, that would be good enough for me.

Alex

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMAt any rate, I don't see how this is going to do anything to transform this part of the city other than downgrading a road and making flowing traffic less efficient in the area. What do they expect from tearing out this highway?

Opening up land for developers to capitalize on with mixed-use developments?

Big John

Quote from: Alex on August 09, 2024, 08:42:25 AM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on August 02, 2024, 06:01:53 AMAt any rate, I don't see how this is going to do anything to transform this part of the city other than downgrading a road and making flowing traffic less efficient in the area. What do they expect from tearing out this highway?

Opening up land for developers to capitalize on with mixed-use developments?
Did any development ever occur when the land was opened up from the Park East spur demolition?



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.