Rethink 794 Group Says Removal of Elevated Highway Through Downtown and Replacement with Street-Level Boulevard is Still Best Option for Region
Rebuilding or reconfiguring new elevated freeway won’t benefit broader community, group says
Milwaukee (May 28, 2025) – The volunteer group Rethink 794 has reviewed the latest Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) options for the aging Interstate 794 section between the Lakefront and 6th Street and says the best option for the community and region is to remove and replace the freeway with a street-level boulevard.
The greater Milwaukee community would be better served by replacing the freeway stretch through downtown with the street grid and new development that would include housing, employment, retail and park space. WisDOT is holding an open house on Thursday to show its latest options for the obsolete freeway spur.
The 9/10-mile Downtown segment must be demolished because of its age, and WisDOT’s three options following demolition are to rebuild the elevated freeway as-is, build another elevated freeway with design tweaks or remove and replace it with a street level boulevard and use the land currently beneath the freeway for housing, businesses, and public amenities.
A study by Rethink 794 found that permanent removal of the elevated freeway and replacement with a boulevard at street-level has the potential over 30 years to generate $475 million in property taxes, $3 billion in downtown disposable income, $60 million in city sales tax and the creation of 3,000+ new housing units.
“The removal option by WisDOT is not only viable, it would open the door to 30 years of job creation and much needed housing in the heart of the region” Rethink 794 said. “It would set a national standard for growth within a city-center.”
“When the Park-East freeway was removed, people thought it would be a traffic nightmare, and now 20 years later, people forget it was even there, and we have a growing Deer-District in its place.”
“It is becoming clearer that rebuilding an elevated highway through Downtown even with some tweaks completely fails to take advantage of this generational opportunity,” the group said.
“Significant economic benefits to the community and region can only occur with full and permanent removal of this elevated spur. Given the elevated freeway must be torn down anyway because of age, the community will have a once-in-a-generation chance to permanently replace it with an at-grade road. This is the only option that creates major economic benefits for the community.”
Rethink 794 said traffic on city streets and drive times would not be significantly impacted by removal. “Cities around the country have removed unneeded freeway spurs and have seen better neighborhoods, more tax base and jobs, and have not seen major changes in traffic volumes at street level,” the group said.
Find more press releases HERE.