MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) held a public involvement meeting on Thursday night to get feedback on the I-794 Lake Interchange.

WisDOT officials say the interchange’s infrastructure is getting old and nearing the end of its life.

“Safe to drive on but right now’s the time we need to start taking a look at it to see what the future holds for it,” WisDOT Project Manager David Pittman said.

WisDOT is currently looking at four options to deal with the aging bridges holding the interchange together.

One would remove the interchange completely, one would reconstruct it in a similar way, and two would redesign the interchange.

“All options are still on the table, we’re still collecting that feedback, just doing the rest of our analysis before we make that determination,” Pittman said.

WisDOT research shows that freeway removal would result in more crashes in downtown Milwaukee and surrounding highways, while freeway improvement would reduce crashes on 794 and other areas.

Milwaukee residents at the public meeting on Thursday night were torn on the options available.

“I would like to see it come down, I think it’s just too valuable of a space and too much of a cost in the multiple maintenance cycles over the long term to have such a large number of bridges running right through downtown,” Milwaukee resident Kevin Germino.

Others that rely on the interchange want to see it improved, instead of taken away.

“Removal decreases safety, car crashes, and I’m assuming although that’s not said in the information, what does that translate for humans,” Milwaukee resident Julie Boch said. “There is no easy way if that is all brought to street level that doesn’t create absolute havoc.”

WisDOT will have another public meeting on Tuesday May 5, at St. Francis High School.