Interstate 894 Wisconsin

Mitchell Interchange – Milwaukee, WI ↔ Milwaukee, WI•4.70 miles

Overview

Interstate 894 provides a bypass to the southwest of Milwaukee while acting as a commuter route to several major suburbs. I-894 runs concurrent with I-41/43 on the south leg of the Bypass. That portion is known as the Airport Freeway. Cosigned with I-41 and U.S. 45, the western leg of I-894 follows the Zoo Freeway.

Major interchanges in the Milwaukee area are formally named. Those along I-894 include the Zoo Interchange with I-41-U.S. 45 and I-94, named for adjacent Milwaukee County Zoo; the Hale Interchange with I-43 leading southwest from Hale Corners; and the Mitchell Interchange with I-94, derived from nearby General Mitchell International Airport (MKE).

Mileage by State

Wisconsin

2.05 mi

Data Sources

December 31, 2025 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

Zoo Interchange Project

Starting in 2012, an overhaul at the Zoo Interchange reconfigured the exchange to eliminate left exits in all directions. The centerpiece of the largest transportation project in Wisconsin state history was the construction of a four-level systems interchange at I-41, I-94 and I-894. The $1.7 billion project also rebuilt I-94 west to S 108th Street (Exit 304), I-94 east to S 84th Street (Exit 306), I-41 north to Watertown Plank Road (Exit 40) and I-41/894 south to Greenfield Avenue (Exit 1 D). The associated roadways leading to and from the Zoo Interchange were upgraded to remove weaving traffic patterns.

The last of the ramps at the Zoo Interchange opened to traffic in the week following a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating completion of the Core project on August 27, 2018. Costing $232.6 million, the North Leg of the Zoo Interchange Project reconstructs 1.7 miles of Interstate 41 between N Swan Boulevard and Burleigh Street. The expansion work ran through 2023 (Spicuzza & Marley, 2018).

History

Interstate 894 proposed as a bypass of Milwaukee – 1961 Wisconsin Official Highway Map — The U.S. 45 (I-41 now) portion of the Zoo Freeway north of I-94 was not shown on the 1961 Official Highway Map. The freeway was built northward to North Avenue in conjunction with the initial stretch of I-894 south by 1963.

Milwaukee, WI - 1971 — Interstate 894 in 1971. Wis 15 overlapped with the Zoo Freeway north from Rock Freeway (Hale Interchange) to National Avenue (Exit 2 A). STH-15 was decommissioned in 1987 with the extension of I-43 south. Original plans took the Stadium Freeway south from National Avenue to I-894 (Airport Freeway). The directional T interchange with I-894 was partially completed and a portion of it later repurposed as bus ramps to the Loomis Road Park & Ride lot. Those ramps were permanently closed in 2011.

The Zoo Freeway opened to traffic between County Trunk Highway T (Beloit Road) and Interstate 94 in 1963. The remainder of the freeway south to the Hale Interchange (I-43 / old Wis 15) and east to the Mitchell Interchange (I-94) followed in 1966. Interstate 43 was extended southwest via the freeway along Wis 15 toward Beloit officially on November 24, 1987, with signage erected the following year (Bessert, 2016).

I-41-894/US 45 south at I-43 - Greenfield, WI — I-43 combines with U.S. 45 south on the Rock Freeway and joins I-41/894 east along the Airport Freeway from the Hale Interchange. The Hale Interchange Maintenance Project involved work on bridges and ramps between November 2014 and Summer 2015. Work included replacement of bridge expansion joints and bridge polymer overlays (Fox 6 Milwaukee, 2015). Photo by Peter Johnson (05/12/20).

Escalating construction costs in 2003 associated with the massive rebuild of the Marquette Interchange in Downtown Milwaukee, where I-43, I-94 and I-794 converge, included several cost cutting ideas touted by then major John Norquist. A scaled down interchange revamp developed by city engineers would save $361 million by only moving one of the left exit ramps at the busy Downtown exchange. Coupled with that was a renumbering plan proposed by the mayor that might offset traffic through the junction. The plan included rerouting I-94 over all of Interstate 894, extending I-794 west from the Marquette Interchange to the Zoo Interchange over former I-94, and leaving the North-South Freeway as simply I-43 (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2003). This proposed renumbering was never implemented, and the Marquette Interchange was ultimately rebuilt between 2005 and December 2008.

Major construction redesigned the Mitchell Interchange over the course of four years as part of a $300 million project. The work eliminated left exit ramps along Interstate 94 while reconfiguring the adjacent interchange with S 27th Street (Exit 9) to offset weaving traffic patterns along I-43/894. Project elements included 51 bridges, three tunnels and more than 17 sound walls. A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the end of construction on November 9, 2012, with work completed a month and a half ahead of schedule (Sears, 2012).

Interstate 41 was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on November 15, 2012. Signs for the route were erected starting in May 2015. The designation replaced all of U.S. 41 between Rosecrans, Illinois and Green Bay, Wisconsin. I-41 overlays all of I-894, but there are no plans to decommission the 894 designation due to its role as a through route bypass for I-94. The three way overlap between I-41, I-43 and I-894 along the Airport Freeway results in a "wrong way" overlap where I-41 north travels alongside I-43 south and vice versa.

East End ‐ Mitchell Interchange – Milwaukee, WI

South North East at

I-41/43/894 east at I-94 - Greenfield, WI

Passing over S 5th Street, the first sign for the upcoming Mitchell Interchange (Exits 10A/B) with Interstate 94 appears along I-41/43/894 eastbound. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/12/20).

South East at

I-41/94 north at I-43/894 - Milwaukee, WI

The first sign for the Mitchell Interchange and split of I-41/94 appears within the diamond interchange (Exit 320) at Rawson Avenue. 06/13/15

North West at

I-43/94 south at I-41/894 - Milwaukee, WI

The first sign for the Mitchell Interchange and split of Interstate 43 south from I-94 east stands within the parclo interchange (Exit 314B) at Howard Avenue. 06/13/15

East End – Past Views

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

North East at

The initial sign for the Mitchell Interchange previously appeared within the scuttled Stadium Interchange along I-43 north / I-894 east. The departure point of Exits 10A/B was moved further west to the Wis 241 (27th Street) overpass during 2009-12 construction. 09/02/05

North at

The left exit ramp for I-43 south / I-894 west departed from I-94 west / U.S. 41 north two miles beyond the diamond interchange (Exit 319) with College Avenue. 09/02/05

South East at

I-43/94 originally carried just six lanes on the curve preceding the Mitchell Interchange. Five southbound lanes travel here now. Photo by Chris Lokken and Mike Saldivar (08/13/06).

North End ‐ Milwaukee, WI

North West at

I-894-41/US 45 west at I-94 - West Allis, WI

I-41 north / I-894 west reach the Zoo Interchange with Interstate 94 just 0.75 miles north of the Greenfield Avenue (Wis 59) exit. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/12/20).

East at

Two miles west of the Zoo Interchange along Interstate 94 (East West Freeway) after the Elm Grove Road overpass. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/12/20).

South at

Exit 40 with Watertown Plank Road was greatly expanded to include directional and loop ramps to I-41/U.S. 45 by late 2014. The freeway proceeds south from there directly to the Zoo Interchange with I-94 and I-894 east. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/12/20).

North End – Past Views

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

West North at

Expansion of the Zoo Freeway leading toward I-94 added two lanes per direction for ten total. Associated work converted Exit 1D with Wis 59 from a parclo to a diamond interchange. 06/13/15

West at

Two miles ahead of the Zoo Interchange with I-41 and I-894 east on Interstate 94 west at the split diamond interchange (Exit 307A) with 68th and 70th Streets. 05/30/11

East at

These style of signs, which were erected by 2004, were posted on every major freeway-to-freeway interchange in the Milwaukee area. Photo by Chris Lokken and Mike Saldivar (08/13/06).

South at

Traveling through the original diamond interchange with Watertown Plank Road on U.S. 45 south, one mile ahead of the Zoo Interchange. Construction finished in late 2014 rebuilt this exchange. Photo by Chris Lokken and Mike Saldivar (08/13/06).

References

Bessert, C. (2016, February 5). Highways 400 through 894. Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved from https://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys400-894.html#I-894

Norquist freeway plan diverts traffic. (2003, January 23). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Sears, A. (2012, November 9). Ribbon cutting held for completed Mitchell Interchange project. FOX 6 Now Milwaukee. Retrieved from https://www.fox6now.com/news/ribbon-cutting-held-for-completed-mitchell-interchange-project

Short-term closure: Hale Interchange ramp to WIS 100 to close Monday, July 6th. (2015, July 2). Fox 6 Milwaukee.

Spicuzza, M., & Marley, P. (2018, August 28). Scott Walker declares Zoo Interchange is done, even as years of work remain. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Updated June 22, 2022