MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin DOT held its second public outreach meeting of the week to inform residents about its I-794 Lake Interchange Study.
The study intends to look at the future of the section of I-794 from Lincoln Memorial Drive to the Marquette Interchange.
On Wednesday, the meeting was held at St. Thomas More on the city's south side.
WisDOT is looking at multiple solutions, including replacing the infrastructure while keeping its footprint similar, reducing its footprint on the ground, or removing it entirely.
Dave Weingrod, a Bay View resident who uses I-794 almost daily, said the highway's direct connections are crucial for commuters.
"You can get on 794, take it all the way to 43 or to 94, and you don't have to get off," Weingrod said. "Any plan that would require me to have to get off would add just lots of time to your commute."
Watch: Southern Milwaukee County residents voice their opinions on I-794's future
The complete removal option would bring more traffic downtown, but could open up valuable space for development. While this approach has gained support from some residents and urban planning advocates, it faces significant resistance from south shore communities.
Mayors Ken Jankowski of Cudahy, Mayor Ken Tutaj of St. Francis, and Mayor Jim Shelenske of South Milwaukee all authored resolutions in recent months opposing the full removal plan.
Instead, they favor two alternative options: completely replacing the entire interchange while keeping the current model, or shrinking its footprint by decreasing the number of on and off-ramps.
Cudahy Mayor Ken Jankowski warned that removal would create severe traffic problems for surrounding cities.
"It's going to create a huge bottleneck; our cities are going to suffer tremendously for that, our businesses will leave, we'll be a desert," Jankowski said.
There are South Shore residents TMJ4 has interviewed for previous stories who are in favor of the removal.
Bay View resident Celeste Volcensek supports the modified approach.
"I don't want for them to replace the bridge, and some of the proposed off-ramps and on-ramps seem like a good idea," Volcensek said.
More public meetings are scheduled for 2026, but a final decision remains over a year away. WisDOT continues to ask for public feedback as the planning process moves forward.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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