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City engineer: WisDOT is expanding analysis on I‑794 options; removal and improvements remain under study
Summary
Kevin Muse, the city engineer, told the Public Works Committee the state Department of Transportation is preparing a more detailed set of alternatives for I‑794 east‑of‑the‑river work, and has elevated the federal review to an Environmental Impact Statement. The city has not taken a formal position and is asking for additional traffic and economic‑
Kevin Muse, the City of Milwaukee engineer, briefed the Public Works Committee on Jan. 8 about the status of the Interstate 794 east‑of‑the‑river planning study being led by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).
Muse said WisDOT has been refining initial concepts into a smaller set of detailed alternatives that likely will include a full removal option, one or more improvement‑oriented options (narrowed footprints or operational changes) and a replace‑in‑kind option. As part of the federal review, the project has moved from an Environmental Assessment to a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Muse said that expansion of analysis and the additional modeling and documentation required for an EIS have extended WisDOT’s schedule and that the city has asked WisDOT to provide more detailed traffic modeling and economic development analysis as part of the alternatives presented to the public.
Muse said the city, Milwaukee County and state project staff meet approximately monthly and that the city is not in a position to take a formal policy stance until the department releases the detailed alternatives and supporting analyses. He described the importance of receiving traffic‑model outputs, economic‑potential information and other results so the city can evaluate tradeoffs (mobility, local access, economic development and environmental impacts) before taking a formal position.
The committee accepted the briefing and held file 241422 to the call of the chair for future updates. No committee vote on a policy position occurred at the meeting.
Quote: Kevin Muse, City Engineer, said the project "has been broadened from a replace‑in‑kind review to include removal and improvement options," and that the EIS requirement means "more detailed modeling and analysis" is being produced before public alternatives are presented.
Ending: Committee members expressed interest in the additional analyses and asked staff to continue intergovernmental coordination with WisDOT and the county and to return to committee when the department publishes the detailed alternatives and supporting materials.
