Freeways of Milwaukee

The Lake Front Depot was purchased by Milwaukee County in 1964 and torn down in 1968 with the intent of using the land for the Lake Freeway.

• Aggressive system construction in 1960s
• Impact on African American neighborhoods[6]
• Landmarks torn down
  • Lake Front Depot
  • Borchert Field
• MCEC had confiscatory power over land
  • Large chunks of land cut through neighborhoods
  • Property taxes skyrocketed as tax base shrank
  • Particularly bad in West Milwaukee

• Neighborhood resistance began in Sherman Park and Bay View neighborhoods
  • Sherman Park killed Park West Freeway
  • Bay View liked the idea of the freeway, but not at the expense of 600 homes
  • Heated meetings and bomb threats
• 1974 referendums
  • Airport Spur, Park West, Stadium to I-894, Park East/Downtown Loop, Lake Expressway
  • All approved by voters
  • Only Airport Spur was built
• Incomplete freeways
  • 1975 'Gap Closure Freeway' proposed to link Fond du Lac and Stadium freeways
  • MCEC disbanded by state in 1979 before any construction took place
• Park East
  • Targeted by Norquist for removal
  • Underutilized and blighted
  • The only constructed section of the Park Freeway was torn down in 1999. Since its removal, a form of urban renaissance occurred. Property values rose as businesses and attractions, such as Fiserv Forum, were built on or near the land on which the Park East Freeway lay.[7]

The Airport Freeway is the name of the east–west portion of I-894, which is concurrent with I-41, I-43, and US 41. It begins at the Hale Interchange and ends at the Mitchell Interchange, where it meets I-94.

The Airport Spur is a connector freeway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 1.89-mile (3.04 km) freeway connects Interstate Highway 94 to the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. It is signed as Wisconsin Highway 119 (STH 119). The current route starts at Interstate 41/Interstate 94 and has just one more exit at Wisconsin Highway 38 (Howell Avenue) before ending at the airport. Until 2007, STH 119 was not signed but was commissioned and appeared on highway maps as an unsigned highway. After travelers in the area became confused because the route was not signed, officials decided to change the exit signs from I-94 in order to include the highway.

The Bay Freeway was the name of a proposed freeway in Milwaukee. No portion of the freeway was constructed. It was intended to be an east–west freeway running on the north side of the city. It was to begin at Interstate 43 (I-43) in Glendale, near Hampton Avenue. From there it would run westerly to the proposed interchange with the Stadium Freeway and the Fond du Lac Freeway. The Bay Freeway would have overlapped the Fond du Lac Freeway for approximately two miles (3.2 km) before splitting off and continuing westward, intersecting the Zoo Freeway and continuing through Menomonee Falls and Pewaukee before joining Wisconsin Highway 16.

The Belt Freeway was a proposed beltway through the western and southern suburbs of Milwaukee. It was planned to begin at the Lake Freeway southeast of the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and end at the Fond du Lac Freeway in the northwest suburbs. It was to run parallel to the Airport and Zoo Freeways, both of which were constructed.[8]

The East–West Freeway, also called the East–West Corridor, is the name of I-94 as it enters the Milwaukee metro from the west until it reaches the Marquette Interchange and the portion of I-794 between the Marquette Interchange and the Lake Freeway in downtown Milwaukee.

The Fond du Lac Freeway is a reconstruction of Milwaukee's Fond du Lac Avenue. It begins near the intersection of Fond du Lac Avenue, N. 68th Street, and W. Hampton Avenue and heads northwest toward Fond du Lac.

The Lake Freeway, also known as I-794 is an Interstate Highway spur route in Milwaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. I-794 is one of two auxiliary Interstates in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and serves the lakefront, the Port of Milwaukee and connects downtown with the southeastern suburbs of St. Francis, Cudahy and South Milwaukee.

The North–South Freeway is the main north–south highway through Milwaukee. It runs roughly parallel to the coast of Lake Michigan. As it enters the Milwaukee metropolitan area, it carries I-41 and I-94. At the interchange with I-894, the Mitchell Interchange, I-41 leaves away and I-43 enters the roadway. At the Marquette Interchange, I-94 exits to the west and I-794 begins to the east. The freeway continues north as I-43 toward Green Bay.

The Park Freeway was a planned and partially constructed freeway in Milwaukee. The freeway removal policy resulted in the demolition of the Park East Freeway, the only section to have been completed. The planned eastern terminus of the Park Freeway in downtown Milwaukee was near Prospect Avenue and Ogden Avenue. At that point, the freeway was to turn southward as the Lake Freeway. The Park East Freeway, as built, extended from Jefferson Street westward to Interstate 43, carrying Highway 145.[11] From I-43, the Park West Freeway was to continue northwesterly to just north of North Avenue. From there, it would continue westward to its intersection with the Stadium Freeway.

The right of way for the entire Park Freeway was purchased and cleared. However, only a small portion was ever built - between North 12th Street and North Jefferson Street. Because of opposition of the freeway by community leaders, the remainder of the freeway was never built, and the right of way lay vacant for years. Much of the land has been redeveloped. The only built portion was demolished beginning in 2002, most of which was replaced by an improved at-grade West McKinley Avenue and East Knapp Street and a new vertical-lift bridge over the Milwaukee River.[9][10]

Redevelopment of the cleared freeway right-of-way was slowed by the economic recession that started in 2008. Milwaukee School of Engineering constructed an athletic facility. Commercial developments include a hotel and offices.[12] A new arena and related structures for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks are also using some of the former right-of-way.[13] Development has occurred on land adjacent to the former right-of-way, which is no longer overshadowed by the elevated freeway.

The Beloit-to-Milwaukee portion of I-43 was given the name "Rock Freeway," named because the freeway traverses Rock County and heads towards the cities in the Rock River valley, including Rockford, Illinois. However, the moniker generally only applies to the portion of the route in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties; freeway names in southeastern Wisconsin media are used interchangeably with Interstate numbers.

The Stadium Freeway (also known as Miller Park Way) is a six-lane divided highway traveling south to north in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This freeway was the first road of its kind built in Milwaukee County. It is designated as Wisconsin Highway 175 (WI 175) along its northern stretch from WIS 59, past Interstate 94 (I-94) to Lisbon Avenue.

The southern portion from I-94 to National Avenue was designated as unsigned WIS 341 from August 1999 to August 2015, and is called Miller Park Way. The road travels adjacent to the east side of Miller Park, home of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers.

The West Bend Freeway or West Bend Bypass is a portion of US 45 that connects the Fond du Lac freeway with West Bend. Originally built in 1986 as a super two, the freeway was expanded to four lanes in 1990.

The Zoo Freeway is the name of a portion of US 45, which is concurrent with I-41 and US 41, as well as the north–south portion of I-894, which ends at I-94. It begins at the Hale Interchange and ends at the Fond du Lac Freeway in northern Milwaukee.

The Hale Interchange is located southwest of Milwaukee in Greenfield, though it takes its name from nearby Hales Corners.[14] It is a directional T interchange that connects the Zoo Freeway from the north, the Airport Freeway from the east, and the Rock Freeway from the southwest.

The Marquette Interchange is located near downtown Milwaukee near Marquette University, from which the stack interchange gets its name. It connects the East–West Freeway to the North–South Freeway, as well as the Lake Freeway. Planning began in 1957, but construction did not begin until 1964. City and state officials opened the interchange with a ribbon cutting on December 23, 1968. At the time, it was noted that rush-hour drive times were cut to one-third of what they were previously.[15] The interchange was entirely rebuilt between 2004 and 2008.[16]

The Mitchell Interchange is located in southern Milwaukee near the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. It connects the North–South Freeway and the Airport Freeway. It was entirely reconstructed between 2009 and 2012. The new configuration features three cut-and-cover tunnels and safer freeway entrances and exits.[17]

The Stadium Interchange is located in central Milwaukee near Miller Park and before that Milwaukee County Stadium. It connects the East–West Freeway to the Stadium Freeway the north and Miller Park Way to the south.

The Zoo Interchange is located in western Milwaukee near the Milwaukee Zoo. It connects the East–West Freeway and the Zoo Freeway. The interchange was originally constructed with ramps exiting and entering the highways from the desired directions of travel, i.e. take the left exit to go left. A total reconstruction project began in 2014 to move all entrances and exits to the outside lanes of the highways in order to reduce dangerous weaving in and out of traffic. Construction was scheduled to be completed in 2018, but budget restructuring delayed the project and it is now scheduled to wrap up in 2022.[18]