#hoanbridge

The Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge

“It not only unifies the south side with the rest of the city, but undoubtedly will open new avenues for development of our growing city.”  - Former Mayor Henry Maier 

Known to older residents as the “The Bridge to Nowhere,” it is one of Milwaukee’s most recognizable landmarks and almost considered one of the worst ideas in the city’s history. There is a scene in the movie, The Blues Brothers that was filmed on this bridge. In the development of the bridge there were some design issues and they still did not know how to connect the bridge to the interstate. In 1963, the city formally applied for federal aid to add an expressway link that would cut through Juneau Park and connect Lincoln Memorial to a sweeping bridge that would rise up from Clybourn Street, cross the channel, and connect to South Superior Street in Bay View. The bridge was honored by the American Institute of Steel Construction as one of the 17 most beautiful bridges to open to traffic in 1974. There was, of course, the minor detail of the bridge not actually being open to traffic. Finally, in 1975, President Gerald Ford released $2 billion in addition federal funds for interstate projects that included $22 million for Wisconsin to finally open the bridge to traffic. The north end would now be connected to the unfinished I-794 southbound ramps and the south end would connect to Carferry Drive – the same spot which had been considered insufficient by the feds nearly a decade prior. It’s of my way at times but I like to go cruising on this bridge.