Interstate 894 - History

History

I-894 is only a part of an important history of the Milwaukee area's freeway system. The freeways that exist today are only a part of what the Milwaukee County Expressway Commission had hoped would be built by 1972. The Zoo Freeway between Beloit Road and North Avenue was completed in 1963. At that time, the portion between Beloit Road and the Zoo Interchange was signed as I-894. The remainder of the Zoo freeway to the Hale Interchange was completed in 1966 when the Airport Freeway was constructed. US 45 was rerouted to the freeway, as was WIS 15 south of National Avenue. (The Rock Freeway had also been constructed west to 108th Street at the time.) The Airport Freeway was proposed to be routed to the also proposed Stadium Freeway South along Howard Avenue which is about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) north of the current alignment and named the Howard Avenue Expressway. The Airport Freeway construction was completed in 1966 to fully open I-894. Both freeways were slated to become part of the Interstate system in 1957, prior to their construction. I-43 was signed along the Airport Freeway concurrently with I-894 in 1988 after being officially designated in 1987. A remnant of the proposed Stadium Freeway remains connected to I-894 near WIS 36 as an unbuilt interchange. Its three completed ramps are closed to all traffic except buses, and the ramps provide access to a park-and-ride The fourth ramp was demolished.