Hoan Bridge Case Study

Minimizing congestion. Maximizing safety.

Using a moveable barrier to keep Milwaukee moving during major bridge rehabilitation.

When the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) began the $278 million I-794 Lake Freeway project, they faced a challenge: how to replace the deteriorating deck and retrofit the aging Daniel Hoan Bridge without bringing traffic in and out of Milwaukee to a standstill.

Their solution? The Road Zipper System™—a moveable barrier that allowed WisDOT and Walsh Construction to reconfigure traffic flow in real time, maintaining two lanes in the peak direction while one bridge span was under construction.

Project Snapshot

Location: Hoan Bridge / I-794, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Project Scope: Major structural retrofit, including bridge deck replacement
Traffic Volume: 40,000+ vehicles/day
Technology: Road Zipper Moveable Barrier + SwiftGate™ Remote-Controlled Lane Closure System
Timeline: 2013–2015

How It Worked

To maintain mobility during construction:

One bridge span was closed entirely for rehabilitation.
The opposing span remained open, with three total lanes available.
Using the Road Zipper, traffic was dynamically shifted to create a 2/1 lane configuration based on peak traffic direction.
- AM Peak: Two lanes inbound to Milwaukee
- PM Peak: Two lanes outbound to suburbs

This flexible solution avoided long-term 2/1 bottlenecks and added an effective fourth lane without expanding the roadway footprint. Additionally, the SwiftGate™ system allowed remote-controlled deployment of tapered gates and signage, keeping workers safe and optimizing daily traffic transitions.

Reduced congestion.

Real-time lane reconfiguration kept traffic flowing.

Enhanced safety.

Positive separation protected drivers and crews.

No additional construction.

Existing infrastructure accommodated changing traffic patterns.

All-weather operation.

Equipment performed reliably in harsh Wisconsin winters.

Extended bridge life.

A new deck expected to last 40–50 years.

A smarter way to work through construction.

Rather than forcing drivers through prolonged backups or investing in costly temporary expansions, WisDOT turned to innovation. The Road Zipper System made it possible to rehabilitate one of Milwaukee’s busiest bridges while keeping the city moving—safely and efficiently.

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Road Zipper Case Study | Hoan Bridge

Minimizing congestion. Maximizing safety.

Project Snapshot

How It Worked

A smarter way to work through construction.

Explore how the Road Zipper can optimize your next construction project.

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