Jursik Applauds Hoan Bridge Reconstruction Plans

Southeastern Milwaukee County residents were treated to some good news over the weekend, when Gov. Scott Walker announced a $300 million plan to re-deck and rebuild the Hoan Bridge in 2013.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik, who represents a portion of Oak Creek, released a statement today applauding the decision.

"The iconic arch of the Hoan is the linchpin to economic development in the South Shore," Jursik said.  

"Along with the Aerotropolis around the airport and the Port of Milwaukee near downtown, we could be on the tip of a major economic boom along the South Shore in the next decade. It's definitely within our reach."

The bridge and the Interstate 794 corridor is heavily-used by many Oak Creek residents commuting downtown, but has been in terrible shape for some time now. 

Walker's announcement on Saturday outlined three parts to the reconstruction plan:

• Replacing the Hoan Bridge deck and making structural modifications;
• Repairing the Lake Interchange (the junction of I-794 from the Milwaukee River to the Hoan Bridge);
• Replacing bridges on I-794 between the Marquette Interchange and the Lake Interchange.

Work is expected to take three years.

This year's construction on the Hoan Bridge, , will continue throughout the summer.

Jursik was at the forefront of the Coalition to Save the Hoan, a group that formed three years ago when then-Gov. Jim Doyle's administration floated the idea of replacing the Hoan Bridge.

The group helped spark widespread opposition to the idea, and plans to replace the Hoan were eventually taken off the table.

Since then, Jursik and other officials have began studying extending I-794. Jursik said she envisions I-794 eventually extending to all the way to the Illinois border.