Keep Hoan Bridge standing

Recent news reports have discussed the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) proposal to tear down the Hoan Bridge and replace it with a grade-level parkway and lift bridge. Like many of you, I am adamantly opposed to any plan to tear down the Hoan. I believe we would be best served by resurfacing the current bridge.

I have expressed my concerns with WisDOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi regarding this issue and I have strongly encouraged him to listen to the residents of the area in developing plans for the future of the Hoan.

WisDOT has hired a Madison engineering firm to study options and design alternatives to resurfacing the bridge. Supporters of the “tear-down” option tout opportunities for development in the area under the Hoan, arguing it could be more easily accessed with a grade-level parkway. However, these plans do not account for what currently exists in that area. Significant obstacles to development include the Jones Island salt piles, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewage District processing plant, and oil tank storage. The plans also fail to recognize the economic downturn that Milwaukee and the rest of the country are facing. When discussing development of the surrounding area it is important to note that the entire west side of the harbor could be redeveloped without removing the Hoan. 

Those of us who utilize the Hoan Bridge on a regular basis recognize the need for changes. There is an obvious need for resurfacing. Additionally, access to the bridge could be functionally and aesthetically improved by reconfiguring the on- and off-ramps at the southern end of the bridge.

Rumors are floating that plans are moving forward and the removal of the Hoan Bridge is imminent and inevitable. This is not the case. Alternative plans are rudimentary at best and a project of this size would have to undergo thorough public scrutiny and subsequent legislative approval. Please be assured, I will fight any proposal to tear down the Hoan Bridge.

I remain dedicated to retaining this vital transportation link between downtown and Milwaukee’s south side and south suburbs.

Jeff Plale is the state senator for Wisconsin’s Seventh Senate District, which spans from Milwaukee’s East Side to Oak Creek, including downtown, the Third Ward, Bay View, St. Francis, Cudahy, and South Milwaukee. He can be reached locally at (414) 744-1444 or in Madison at (800) 361-5487 or sen.plale@legis.wisconsin.gov.