Hoan Bridge debate heats up
October 1, 2009
“Saving the Hoan” has become a political battle pitched between local elected officials and the state Department of Transportation, with thousands of Milwaukee County residents ranging from perplexed to outraged at the state’s idea to replace the Hoan Bridge with an at-grade connection.
The Coalition to Save the Hoan-organized by County Supervisors Marina Dimitrijevic, Patricia Jursik, Chris Larson, and state Representative Christine Sinicki-has hosted several town hall meetings about the Hoan, attended by hundreds.
The Milwaukee County Board voted unanimously Sept. 24 to request that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) complete a study of the maintenance and re-decking of the Hoan Bridge before any additional studies are conducted about demolishing the iconic bridge once dubbed The Bridge to Nowhere but now embraced by south-side commuters.
“Frank Busalacchi, the state’s transportation czar, has contracted with HNTB to study removing the Hoan Bridge/794 corridor without getting any input from residents or elected officials in the affected neighborhoods,” Supervisor Jursik said in a release. “Through the Coalition to Save the Hoan, we have already collected more than 5,000 signatures from individuals who oppose tearing down this transportation lifeline.”
The county resolution also requests that the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) review the assumptions and factual statements made in the HNTB contracted report regarding traffic impact and provide the results of this review to Milwaukee County.
Below: Concepts for replacing the Hoan Bridge and Interstate 794 with an at-grade crossing, which would require a moveable bridge to accommodate boat traffic. The HNTB report includes drawings of bascule, lift, and pivot bridges, along with miscellaneous high-rise structures opposite the river mouth. ~courtesy Supervisor Patricia Jursik, who obtained the images via an open records request
Below: Concepts for redevelopment of the Milwaukee harbor area from the HNTB report. Both concepts seem to restrict the land used for port activities. One concept imagines parkland occupying over half of the present-day Port of Milwaukee. Another imagines high-density residential plus new marinas. ~courtesy Supervisor Patricia Jursik
Dave Reid on Fri, 2nd Oct 2009 8:47 am
The HNTB report was just a conceptual idea, not a plan per se. That said lowering, or just reconfiguring the Hoan/Lake Interchange, so it lands earlier would open up land in the Third Ward which is likely the most valuable land in the State of Wisconsin (next to US Bank) for development.
Joseph M. Sliker on Sun, 4th Oct 2009 6:14 pm
Those of us who use the bridge every morning and evening and the companies/organizations for whom we work would be serously inconvenienced by the (likely) regular delays of bridge lifts during commute times. Also, I’ve always thought that the nickname “Bridge to Nowhere” was as terrible thing to say about downtown Milwaukee.
Joseph M. Sliker
Bay View
Russ Face on Mon, 5th Oct 2009 12:25 am
I’m more interested in getting rid of the stench caused by Jones Island.
KRalph on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 4:06 pm
As a former Bay View resident now living near the Zoo Interchange, I strongly suggest you continue this fight as the WIDOT and it’s Secretary are hellbent on giving any road industry business work. What I mean is that we on the west side had neighborhood meetings with the DOT etc., however WISDOT was just going thru the motions as they have all along wanted a 8 lane interstate raodway for this Zoo project regardless what the area residents chose.
Watch yourselves as they will steam roll this if you are not on top of this issue. Check out how Waukesha residents won a court fight to stop a project(Hwy 164) that took 10 years to get thru the courts with the road work still on going and the citizens won there fight. Now what happens with the work partly completed??? Good Luck
Stephen Jonrs on Sun, 25th Oct 2009 2:22 pm
While the “Bridge to Nowhere” was named after the only Milwaukee incumbent mayor to not win re-election thus making that phrase an interesting paly on words, the bridge now not only goes somewhere, it allows thousands of hard working people the opportunity to reach destinations with ease. Especially considering the alternative proposed by the DOT.
Secondly, think about the Port efficiency currently afforded to the ships coming and going. Chicago cannot offer the formula Milwaukee offers. Speed, in and out. Get in, get unloaded, get out and on the way. The draw bridges offer nothing but issues. Frank Busalacchi’s plans offer nothing but bad ideas, misinformation, and totally inept formulas for success.
If you haven’t signed a petition yet, contact one of the County Supervisors listed in this article or State Representitive Christine Sinicki. You needn’t live in Bay View, St. Francis, Cudahy or South Milwaukee to be able to sign this form. The idea of this Hoan Bridge being replaced effects almost everyone everywhere.
The Real Tax And Spenders « PEOPLE-Local 645 on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 2:22 am
[...] Personally, I don’t see what is wrong with always keeping an eye open for better ways of doing things. This is especially true with the Hoan Bridge, since the cost of redecking it is rather high, and the one only benefit that I have seen people say is that it allows south siders the luxury of not having to face the traffic jams that every other commuter in Milwaukee County has to deal with on a day in and day out basis. There are plenty of choices to choose from, like these. [...]