Party On The Hoan Bridge

Here’s an innovative idea, lets save the Hoan Bridge by making it into a Milwaukee tourist attraction

Milwaukee, WI -For years a proposal has been lingering to replace the Hoan Bridge, which once was known as the bridge to no where. Today, over 40,000 vehicles commute from downtown to the Bay View area, South side of the city and vice a versa. The bridge has access to the lakefront, Port of Milwaukee and the harbor, the Henry W. Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds), and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District treatment operations.
Alderman Robert Bauman of the 4th aldermanic district which represents downtown and the Third Ward sent out a press release on July 7th promoting the idea of replacing the Hoan bridge with a new lower and shorter bridge. The Hoan Bridge not only connects Bay View and the south side directly with the lakefront and downtown, it also spans several of the city’s key facilities, including the
Port of Milwaukee and the harbor, the Henry W. Maier Festival Park, and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District treatment operations.
Late last year the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) said it wanted to explore “options” for the bridge after it received estimates of $200 million for replacing the aging bridge deck, work which would need to be completed by 2013. A consultant’s report also touted development opportunities on 500 acres of land that could be freed up if the bridge were to be dismantled and rebuilt as an at-grade four-lane boulevard with a movable bridge section over the Milwaukee River, according to Bauman. Bauman wants the Council’s Public Works Committee to look into the issue.
City officials, and the Wisconsin DOT are looking for options to replace it with a ground level road connected to highway (I-794). The bridge six lane bridge is in need of repairs estimated at $200,000,000 for the redecking, and the DOT is looking into demolishing the 2.5 mile bridge and replacing most of the road way with a boulevard, which would be more expensive to built on the short term, according to state officials.
No doubt, any attempt to replace the bridge will have lasting effects in the area, it would result in the loss of federal dollars, traffic, and the interstate route would be removed from maps.
Remember the removal of the Park East Freeway in Milwaukee. The Park East Freeway connected traffic flow to the East side and Brady Street. Today, the area where it once stood is far from being fully developed as a result of our stagnate economy.
H. Nelson Goodson, a resident from the South side is suggesting an innovative idea for Ald. Bauman, the Common Council, DOT and the Public Works Committee; lets save the Hoan Bridge by making it into a Milwaukee tourist attraction. Use one lane for traffic with moderate speed and the other lanes for parking and allow people to walk, bike, and jog along the bridge to view the scenery. On weekends, have live concerts on the Hoan and plenty of food and beverage vendors from one end to the other. Add chicken wire fencing to both sides of the bridge to keep drunks and wanna-be jumpers from jumping. "Party on the Hoan Bridge should be added as a marketing slogan to attract tourism from throughout the Midwest and would add millions of tourist and local dollars to our local economy per year,” Goodson said.