View source for Interstate 894

{{Short description|Highway in Wisconsin}}
{{for|the freeway in Dallas known as the Airport Freeway|Texas State Highway 183}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox road
| state = WI
| type = I
| route = 894
| map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-lat=42.9956|frame-long=-87.9876|zoom=11|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Interstate 894}}}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = Map of the Milwaukee area with I-894 highlighted in red
| established = 1963<ref name="WH_ZooFrwy">{{cite web |last = Bessert |first = Chris |date = January 31, 2009 |title = Milwaukee Freeways: Zoo Freeway |work = Wisconsin Highways |url = http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/zoo.html |access-date = March 7, 2009 }}{{sps|certain=y|date=March 2014}}</ref>
| history = Completed in 1966<ref name="WH_AirportFrwy">{{cite web |last = Bessert |first = Chris |date = January 31, 2009 |title = Milwaukee Freeways: Airport Freeway |work = Wisconsin Highways |publisher = Self-published |url = http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/airport.html |access-date = March 7, 2009 }}{{sps|certain=y|date=March 2014}}</ref>
| length_mi = 9.92
|length_ref=<ref name=WisDOT/>
| spur_type = I
| spur_of = 94
| direction_a = West
| terminus_a = {{jct|state=WI|I|41|I|94|US|41|US|45}} in [[West Allis, Wisconsin|West Allis]]
| junction = {{jct|state=WI|I|43|US|45}} in [[Greenfield, Wisconsin|Greenfield]]
| direction_b = East
| terminus_b = {{jct|state=WI|I|41|I|43|I|94|US|41}} in [[Milwaukee]]
| counties = [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]]
| previous_type = WI
| previous_route = 794
| next_type = US
| next_route = 2
}}
'''Interstate&nbsp;894''' ('''I-894''') is a {{convert|9.92|mi|km|adj=on}} [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]] in [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee County]] in the US state of Wisconsin. The route serves as a [[bypass (road)|bypass]] of downtown [[Milwaukee]], connecting with [[Interstate 94 in Wisconsin|I-94]] at the [[Zoo Interchange]] west of downtown and the [[Mitchell Interchange]] south of downtown. The route [[Concurrency (road)|runs concurrently]] with three other highways for its duration, following [[U.S. Route 45 in Wisconsin|US Highway&nbsp;45]] (US&nbsp;45) from the Zoo Interchange to [[Hale Interchange]] as the '''Zoo Freeway''', where it separates from US&nbsp;45 to follow [[Interstate 43|I-43]] heading east to the Mitchell Interchange as the '''Airport Freeway'''. In local [[traffic reporting]] and casual conversation, it is known simply as "the bypass" or "894", with "41" also being more recently used, as I-894 is entirely concurrent with [[Interstate 41|I-41]]/[[U.S. Route 41 in Wisconsin|US&nbsp;41]]. The east–west portion is also concurrent with I-43.

I-894 is part of what was proposed to be an extensive freeway network around the Milwaukee area. The Zoo Freeway portion was completed from Beloit Road northward in 1963, and the Airport Freeway and remaining segment of the Zoo Freeway were completed in 1966. I-43 was routed concurrently with I-894 in 1987.<ref name="WH_894" />

==Route description==
[[File:Zoo Interchange from the east in Milwaukee.jpg|thumb|left|I-894 west at the Zoo Interchange; US&nbsp;45 now carries the I-41/US 41 designation in the area]]
I-894 begins at the [[Zoo Interchange]] in Milwaukee with I-41, I-94, US&nbsp;41, and US&nbsp;45. The highway heads south as part of the Zoo Freeway from this interchange running concurrently with I-41/US&nbsp;41/US&nbsp;45. Traffic reports generally refer to this section either as 894 northbound (southbound) or the northbound (southbound) Bypass. North of the Zoo Interchange, I-41/US&nbsp;41/US&nbsp;45 continues separately as the north part of the Zoo Freeway. I-894 enters [[West Allis, Wisconsin|West Allis]] before its first exit after the interchange; this first exit is a junction with [[Wisconsin Highway 59|State Trunk Highway&nbsp;59]] (WIS&nbsp;59), known locally as Greenfield Avenue. After the first three exits, I-894 enters [[Greenfield, Wisconsin|Greenfield]]. Farther south, I-894 has interchanges with National Avenue, Oklahoma Avenue, and Beloit Road. This section of the bypass is usually congested during rush hour because of traffic on I-894 and merging traffic from the Rock Freeway (I-43).<ref name="wisdot_milwaukee"/> This {{convert|4|mi|km|adj=on|spell=in}} stretch usually has travel times between 10 and 15&nbsp;minutes during the rush hour (as opposed to five minutes during non-rush-hour times).{{cn|date=May 2022}}

The Interstate turns eastward at the [[Hale Interchange]]. US&nbsp;45 turns westbound at that point to follow I-43 (Rock Freeway) south, and I-43 north follows I-894 to the east. The highway becomes the Airport Freeway after the Hale Interchange. Generally, this section is referred to as I-894 eastbound (westbound), as I-43 was not added until the late 1980s. Westbound I-894 has exits to [[Wisconsin Highway 24|WIS&nbsp;24]] (Forest Home Avenue) after the junction, though the eastbound highway only exits to a nearby local street. I-894 has two more exits after this and meets [[Wisconsin Highway 36|WIS&nbsp;36]] (Loomis Road) before reentering Milwaukee. It meets [[Wisconsin Highway 241|WIS&nbsp;241]] (South 27th Street) at exit&nbsp;9 before terminating at the [[Mitchell Interchange]] with I-94, I-43 and US&nbsp;41; I-43 continues northbound concurrently with I-94.<ref name="wisdot_milwaukee">{{cite map |author = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |author-link = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |date = January 2021 |title = ((Milwaukee Co.)) |url = https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/milwaukee.pdf |scale = 1:100,000 |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |access-date = May 12, 2022 }}</ref>

I-894 passes generally through residential areas for its entire length with the exception of a few commercial districts right next to the freeway such as the [[Southridge Mall (Wisconsin)|Southridge Mall]] district, along with South 27th Street north to Oklahoma Avenue, which contains multiple car dealerships.<ref name="googlemaps_I894">{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=42.961353,-87.935643&hl=en&geocode=FRSGkAIdvKbA-g%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&sll=42.96261,-87.941952&sspn=0.012876,0.038624&ie=UTF8&ll=42.98933,-87.984009&spn=0.102965,0.30899&t=h&z=12 |title = Overview Map of I-894 |access-date = January 15, 2009 }}</ref> With the approximate distance traveled through downtown via I-94 at {{convert|11.8|mi|km}}, I-894 provides a shorter distance for travelers heading to [[Chicago]] or [[Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport]].<ref name="googlemaps_through_route">{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=43.026267,-88.037653&daddr=I-94+E+to:I-94+E&hl=en&geocode=%3BFRymkAIdCGPC-g%3BFRSIjwId8TbC-g&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=1&sll=43.022533,-88.041172&sspn=0.012864,0.038624&ie=UTF8&ll=43.003894,-87.949677&spn=0.102941,0.30899&z=12 |title = Route through Milwaukee via I-94, Zoo Interchange to Mitchell Interchange |access-date = January 15, 2009 |link = no }}</ref> The Zoo Freeway portion as of 2007 carries at most 170,000&nbsp;vehicles per day—with the highest values closer to the Zoo Interchange.<ref name="wisdot_milwaukee_aadt_freeway2">{{cite map |author = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |year = 2007 |title = Milwaukee County Freeway System 2007 Mainline AADT Only Annual Average Daily Traffic |url = http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/counts/docs/milwaukee/milwaukee-freeway2007-pt1.pdf |scale = Scale not given |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |sheet = 2 of 3 |access-date = March 7, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100601234729/http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/counts/docs/milwaukee/milwaukee-freeway2007-pt1.pdf |archive-date = June 1, 2010 }}</ref> The Airport Freeway carries up to 134,000&nbsp;vehicles per day.<ref name="wisdot_milwaukee_aadt_freeway3">{{cite map |author = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |year = 2007 |title = Milwaukee County Freeway System 2007 Mainline AADT Only Annual Average Daily Traffic |url = http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/counts/docs/milwaukee/milwaukee-freeway2007-pt1.pdf |scale = Scale not given |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |sheet = 3 of 3 |access-date = March 7, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100601234729/http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/counts/docs/milwaukee/milwaukee-freeway2007-pt1.pdf |archive-date = June 1, 2010 }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Interstate Highways 41, 43, and 894.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.795|Markers for I-41, I-43, and I-894 on the Airport Freeway, the southern bypass of Milwaukee]]
The freeways that exist today are only a part of what the Milwaukee County Expressway Commission had hoped would be built by 1972.<ref name="WISDOT_BB2">{{cite book |last = Bechtel |first = George |year = 1999 |title = A History of Wisconsin Highway Development 1945–1985 |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |oclc = 20574213 }}{{page needed|date=May 2022}}</ref> 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&nbsp;45 was rerouted to the freeway, as was WIS&nbsp;15 south of National Avenue.<ref name="WH_ZooFrwy"/> (The Rock Freeway had also been constructed west to 108th Street at the time.<ref name="WH_RockFrwy">{{cite web |last = Bessert |first = Chris |date = January 31, 2009 |title = Milwaukee Freeways: Rock Freeway |work = Wisconsin Highways |url = http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/rock.html |access-date = March 7, 2009 }}{{sps|certain=y|date=March 2014}}</ref>) The Airport Freeway was proposed to be routed to the also-proposed Stadium Freeway South along Howard Avenue which is about {{convert|0.75|mi|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 Highway System]] in 1957, prior to their construction.<ref name="WH_AirportFrwy"/> I-43 was signed along the Airport Freeway concurrently with I-894 in 1988 after being officially designated in 1987,<ref name="WH_894">{{cite web |last = Bessert |first = Chris |date = January 31, 2009 |title = Highways 400-894 |work = Wisconsin Highways |url = http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys400-894.html#I-894 |access-date = March 7, 2009 }}{{sps|certain=y|date=March 2014}}</ref> while I-41 was added to the route on April 7, 2015.<ref name="WisDOT2015-04-19">{{cite web |author=US 41 Interstate Conversion Team |date=April 9, 2015 |title=US 41 Interstate Conversion: Wisconsin State Line–Green Bay, in Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Outagamie, and Brown Counties |url=http://www.dot.wi.gov/projects/neregion/41/index.htm |publisher=[[Wisconsin Department of Transportation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412025724/http://www.dot.wi.gov/projects/neregion/41/index.htm |archive-date=April 12, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> A remnant of the proposed Stadium Freeway remains connected to I-894 near WIS&nbsp;36 as an unbuilt interchange. Its three completed ramps are closed to all traffic, and previously had allowed busses access to a [[park and ride]];<ref name="googlemaps_gfeld_interchange">{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=43.026267,-88.037653&daddr=I-94+E+to:I-94+E&hl=en&geocode=%3BFRymkAIdCGPC-g%3BFRSIjwId8TbC-g&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=1&sll=43.022533,-88.041172&sspn=0.012864,0.038624&ie=UTF8&ll=42.963348,-87.962251&spn=0.006438,0.019312&t=h&z=16 |title = Greenfield Interchange |access-date = January 15, 2009 |link = no}}</ref> the fourth ramp was demolished.<ref name="WH_StadiumFrwy">{{cite web |last = Bessert |first = Chris |date = January 31, 2009 |title = Milwaukee Freeways: Stadium Freeway |work = Wisconsin Highways |url = http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/stadium.html |access-date = March 7, 2009 }}{{sps|certain=y|date=March 2014}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Exit list==
{{jcttop|exit
|exit_ref=<ref name="dot2">{{cite web |last = King |first = Randy |date = August 16, 2010 |title = Exit Numbers on Interstate 894 |url = http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/road/exits-i894.htm |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |access-date = July 19, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080421050309/http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/road/exits-i894.htm |archive-date = April 21, 2008 |url-status = dead }}</ref>|state=WI|county=Milwaukee|type=highway|length_ref=<ref name="WisDOT">{{cite book |author = Southwest Region Staff |title = State Trunk Highway Log for Southwest Region |date = December 31, 2008 |publisher = Wisconsin Department of Transportation |location = Madison |type = XLS |at = 894E }}</ref>}}
{{WIint|exit
|location=Milwaukee
|type=concur
|mile=0.00
|exit=1
|road={{jct|state=WI|I|94|location1=[[Milwaukee]]|city2=Madison}}<br/>{{jct|state=WI|I|41|US|41|US|45|dir1=north|dir2=north|dir3=north|city1=Fond du Lac}}
|notes=Northern end of I-41/US&nbsp;41/US&nbsp;45 concurrency; Zoo Freeway continues northward as I-41/US&nbsp;41/US&nbsp;45; signed as exits&nbsp;1A (east) and 1B (west); [[Zoo Interchange]]
}}
{{WIint|exit
|location=West Allis
|lspan=3
|mile=0.72
|exit=1D
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|59|location1=Greenfield Avenue}}
|notes=
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=1.68
|exit=1E
|road=Lincoln Avenue
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=1.94
|exit=2A
|road=National Avenue
|notes=Eastbound exit to westbound National Avenue only
}}
{{WIint|exit
|location=Greenfield
|lspan=8
|type=incomplete
|mile=2.68
|exit=2B
|road=Oklahoma Avenue
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{WIint|exit
|mile=3.29
|exit=3
|road={{jct|state=WI|CTH|T|name1=Beloit Road}}
|notes=
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=concur
|mile=4.38
|mile2=4.55
|exit=4
|road={{jct|state=WI|I|43|US|45|dir1=south|dir2=south|city1=Beloit|location2=[[Chicago]]}}
|notes=Western end of I-43 concurrency; southern end of US&nbsp;45 concurrency, I-43 exit&nbsp;61; [[Hale Interchange]]
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=5.47
|mile2=5.95
|exit=5A–B
|road=76th–84th Streets
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=5.75
|exit=5A
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|24|dir1=west|name1=Forest Home Avenue}}
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=5.95
|exit=5B
|road={{jct|state=WI|CTH|U|name1=76th Street}}
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{WIint|exit
|mile=6.97
|exit=7
|road=60th Street
|notes=
}}
{{WIint|exit
|mile=7.97
|exit=8
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|36|name1=Loomis Road}}
|notes=
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=incomplete
|location=Milwaukee
|lspan=2
|mile=9.01
|exit=9
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|241|name1=27th Street}}
|notes=No access from I-94 west or to I-94 east
}}
{{WIint|exit
|type=concur
|mile=9.62
|mile2=9.92
|exit=10
|road={{jct|state=WI|I|43|I|94|dir1=north|dir2=west|city1=Milwaukee}}<br/>{{jct|state=WI|I|41|I|94|US|41|extra=airport|dir1=south|dir2=east|dir3=south|location1=[[Chicago]]|location2=[[Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport|Airport]]}}
|notes=Eastern end of I-41/I-43/US&nbsp;41 concurrency; signed as exits&nbsp;10A (north) and 10B (south); [[Mitchell Interchange]]
}}
{{Jctbtm|exit|keys=concur,incomplete}}

==See also==
*{{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
*[http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-894_wi.html Information about I-894 at interstate-guide.com]

{{3di|94}}

[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways|94-8]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Wisconsin|94-8]]
[[Category:Interstate 94]]
[[Category:Freeways in the Milwaukee area]]
[[Category:Transportation in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Interstate 894]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 41]]