About: Freeways of Milwaukee

In Milwaukee, freeways were constructed in response to an 8.5% increase in population during the 1940s. Road plans were drawn up in the 1950s through the 1970s and several freeways were built. A lack of foresight resulted in several communities experiencing sharp increases in property taxes such as in West Milwaukee, or the complete destruction of vibrant, African-American neighborhoods such as Bronzeville. After a decade of aggressive highway building in the 1960s, support for freeway construction began to wane as neighborhoods started to oppose construction. With the election of John Norquist as mayor in 1988, Milwaukee began to undo some of the damage of its highway construction. The dismantling of the Park East Freeway north of downtown led to a housing and entertainment construction b