Milwaukee area freeways

[peterj920]

The Mayor of Milwaukee is recommending to keep I-794. Finally sanity is prevailing. I-794 makes it easy for people to access the east side of Downtown, The Lakefront, and the Hoan Bridge and keeps trucks off of city streets traveling to and from the port. It's also safer for pedestrians since they can simply walk under the traffic. If it's not broke don't fix it!

[SSOWorld]

Bump to state that the mayor of Milwaukee is now against turning I-794 into a boulevard.

Good now tunnel it under the airport and connect it to I-41.

Did you mean...

Bump to state that the mayor of Milwaukee is now against turning I-794 into a boulevard.

Good now tunnel it under the airport and connect it to I-94.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Will Removing 794 Cause Traffic Chaos?

[Plutonic Panda]

I guess maybe it's me. I'm just stupid but, you have an airport. It's owned by the city no? Very little if any properties would need to be taken to make this feasible. You can make it a tollway and it shouldn't be hard to tun under an airport tons of major airports have road tunnels going right under the middle of them.

So far, I've had various posters laugh this proposal off, but they've given no serious reason why it shouldn't happen. One of the biggest benefits is it would give a bypass to I-41 if something happens and it can be used as a reliever route.

The tunnel itself might be a mile long at most. It's basically a freeway right up until behind the airport. In "front" of the airport to the west, you already have another road. That's essentially a freeway going directly to the terminals.

Personally, when I look at something like this, I think to me that would be the only reason for keeping I-794. If they're just gonna keep it as some defunct spur, then yeah turn it into a boulevard at that point.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I mean, while being respectful to you, this is as much a "you also need to justify why this should exist" situation, and when it sounds like all we hear is "I think this should be built and tell me why it shouldn't" that doesn't carry a lot of water with people. Especially when it's something that at best still wouldn't happen for 15-20 years even if it was approved by all involved and signed onto tomorrow.

[Plutonic Panda]

I mean, while being respectful to you, this is as much a "you also need to justify why this should exist" situation, and when it sounds like all we hear is "I think this should be built and tell me why it shouldn't" that doesn't carry a lot of water with people. Especially when it's something that at best still wouldn't happen for 15-20 years even if it was approved by all involved and signed onto tomorrow.

My thought is is that so much of this road is already built a 1 mile tunnel at best could connect it to another major interstate, which would offer a redundant route in the event of a shut down on either interstate and then you would have this option. And it doesn't seem like it would need to be a relatively complicated project either other than the fact that we have issues building tunnels in this country for some reason.

[SEWIGuy]

Because it's about the relative cost. A tunnel is going to cost a ton compared to simply upgrading WI-794 and College Avenue. This isn't the Fictional board. There's real life costs and benefits to take into consideration.

[The Ghostbuster]

Why would a tunnel be needed around the airport? The STH 38 tunnel under the runway is the only one that needs to exist. You'd have better luck trying to connect Interstate 190 and IL 390 with a tunnel under O'Hare International Airport (although it would be just as fictional).

[WISFreeways]

Why would a tunnel be needed around the airport? The STH 38 tunnel under the runway is the only one that needs to exist. You'd have better luck trying to connect Interstate 190 and IL 390 with a tunnel under O'Hare International Airport (although it would be just as fictional).

Even in that case, best thing to do is probably some underground tram connecting a nascent western terminal to the existing terminals, like the ones they have at Denver.

[Plutonic Panda]

Why would a tunnel be needed around the airport? The STH 38 tunnel under the runway is the only one that needs to exist. You'd have better luck trying to connect Interstate 190 and IL 390 with a tunnel under O'Hare International Airport (although it would be just as fictional).

Even in that case, best thing to do is probably some underground tram connecting a nascent western terminal to the existing terminals, like the ones they have at Denver.

That tram would have nothing to do with supporting regional transportation that is an airport project. The project that I'm proposing, which yes I know will never happen, is the support inner city transportation and arguably, regional transportation, as it could effectively provide a redundant road in the event, one or the other gets shut down for whatever reason.

[triplemultiplex]

794 isn't for traffic coming from Chicago. It's to connect downtown to the south shore suburbs. It has no spare capacity to function as some kind of 'relief valve' for the North-South Freeway; something that isn't needed to begin with. A connection thru the airport would be a frivolity the region can't afford. 

As for the Marquette-Lake section likely to remain: Eh, whatever. I'm neither happy nor sad.  It was probably inevitable, if we're being honest. 

[Plutonic Panda]

794 isn't for traffic coming from Chicago. It's to connect downtown to the south shore suburbs. It has no spare capacity to function as some kind of 'relief valve' for the North-South Freeway; something that isn't needed to begin with. A connection thru the airport would be a frivolity the region can't afford. 

As for the Marquette-Lake section likely to remain: Eh, whatever. I'm neither happy nor sad.  It was probably inevitable, if we're being honest. 

Correct, but if it were connected, it could technically be used as a bypass, right?

[SEWIGuy]

794 isn't for traffic coming from Chicago. It's to connect downtown to the south shore suburbs. It has no spare capacity to function as some kind of 'relief valve' for the North-South Freeway; something that isn't needed to begin with. A connection thru the airport would be a frivolity the region can't afford. 

As for the Marquette-Lake section likely to remain: Eh, whatever. I'm neither happy nor sad.  It was probably inevitable, if we're being honest. 

Correct, but if it were connected, it could technically be used as a bypass, right?

A bypass to where? Even when traffic is heavy, the best route to downtown from the airport area is I-94. It's not a very long route and is rarely backed up to the point where it is impassable.

Furthermore, even if a bypass is somehow needed, the most cost effective option would be to upgrade the existing surface streets to WI-794 rather than building a tunnel.

[Joe The Dragon]

Why would a tunnel be needed around the airport? The STH 38 tunnel under the runway is the only one that needs to exist. You'd have better luck trying to connect Interstate 190 and IL 390 with a tunnel under O'Hare International Airport (although it would be just as fictional).

and very useless. But they due need to get the blue line under the airport and out the other side

[Plutonic Panda]

I don't understand this. There are plenty of airports that have tunnels underneath of them. What is the issue here? Why is this some sort of a monumental impossible task?

[SEWIGuy]

I don't understand this. There are plenty of airports that have tunnels underneath of them. What is the issue here? Why is this some sort of a monumental impossible task?

No one said it was a "monumental impossible task." Dishonest strawman argument.

[Plutonic Panda]

I don't understand this. There are plenty of airports that have tunnels underneath of them. What is the issue here? Why is this some sort of a monumental impossible task?

No one said it was a "monumental impossible task." Dishonest strawman argument.

Not really a straw man look at the replies when I merely suggest that even be proposed.

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe we should drop the tunnel talk. If it must continue, move it to Fictional Highways.

[FightingIrish]

Why would a tunnel be needed around the airport? The STH 38 tunnel under the runway is the only one that needs to exist. You'd have better luck trying to connect Interstate 190 and IL 390 with a tunnel under O'Hare International Airport (although it would be just as fictional).

And the only reason for the WIS 38 tunnel is to accommodate the long runway. Same with the one on College Av.

As for building a tunnel, it's absolutely pointless. WIS 794 isn't a bypass route - it's a four lane parkway serving Bayview and the south shore. And most people use I-94 to WIS
119 anyway. For those coming from the east, Layton and College Avenues are quite adequate. If the county actually felt a need, they would have expanded Layton and College years ago when they had the opportunity.

[Plutonic Panda]

Why would a tunnel be needed around the airport? The STH 38 tunnel under the runway is the only one that needs to exist. You'd have better luck trying to connect Interstate 190 and IL 390 with a tunnel under O'Hare International Airport (although it would be just as fictional).

And the only reason for the WIS 38 tunnel is to accommodate the long runway. Same with the one on College Av.

As for building a tunnel, it's absolutely pointless. WIS 794 isn't a bypass route - it's a four lane parkway serving Bayview and the south shore. And most people use I-94 to WIS
119 anyway. For those coming from the east, Layton and College Avenues are quite adequate. If the county actually felt a need, they would have expanded Layton and College years ago when they had the opportunity.

Yeah, it's like that right now because there isn't a tunnel that's the whole thing. I understand it's not currently used as a through route two downtown but it could effectively be used as a redundant one in the event that the 94 needs to be shut down for whatever reason. Redundancies are good. Things increasing mobility is a good thing. Increasing connectivity is a good thing.

[The Ghostbuster]

If you want a connection between Interstates 41/94 and STH 794, there's W. Layton Ave (CTH Y) to the north, and W. College Ave. (CTH ZZ) to the south.

[FightingIrish]

Why would a tunnel be needed around the airport? The STH 38 tunnel under the runway is the only one that needs to exist. You'd have better luck trying to connect Interstate 190 and IL 390 with a tunnel under O'Hare International Airport (although it would be just as fictional).

And the only reason for the WIS 38 tunnel is to accommodate the long runway. Same with the one on College Av.

As for building a tunnel, it's absolutely pointless. WIS 794 isn't a bypass route - it's a four lane parkway serving Bayview and the south shore. And most people use I-94 to WIS
119 anyway. For those coming from the east, Layton and College Avenues are quite adequate. If the county actually felt a need, they would have expanded Layton and College years ago when they had the opportunity.

Yeah, it's like that right now because there isn't a tunnel that's the whole thing. I understand it's not currently used as a through route two downtown but it could effectively be used as a redundant one in the event that the 94 needs to be shut down for whatever reason. Redundancies are good. Things increasing mobility is a good thing. Increasing connectivity is a good thing.

If/when I-94 is shut down, traffic is automatically diverted to 27th St. (WIS 241) (which is officially designated by the state as an alternate route). Traffic can also be effectively diverted to Howell Av (WIS 38). But this happens very, very rarely.

A tunnel under MKE is, again, a pointless waste of money, especially considering the current efforts of rebuilding I-94 between 16th and 70th Streets and I-41 between Burleigh and Good Hope. As I said before, Layton and College Avenues carry east-west traffic very efficiently between I-41/94 and the suburbs east of the airport. I drive around the area quite often, and the traffic flow is quite smooth. Same goes for Howell and WIS 794.

But hey, what does a guy in LA know about Milwaukee South side traffic anyway?

[Plutonic Panda]

I know that having a grid and redundancies are pretty fucking important.

[SEWIGuy]

I know that having a grid and redundancies are pretty fucking important.

They exist already. Which is what everyone who actually knows the area is trying to tell you.

[Plutonic Panda]

I know that having a grid and redundancies are pretty fucking important.

They exist already. Which is what everyone who actually knows the area is trying to tell you.

At surface streets with stoplight and traffic signals yes I know I heard them.