Milwaukee Set to Break Ground on New Cruise Dock: What to Expect

Milwaukee is preparing to start construction on the new South Shore Cruise Dock at Port Milwaukee. The groundbreaking ceremony is set for early September and will feature local officials, including Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

Located at 2320 S Lincoln Memorial Dr, the new dock will serve as the port’s third designated cruise dock, accommodating Seaway-max ships during Great Lakes cruise transit.

The project budget is estimated at $9 million, with funding sources including $5 million from Mayor Johnson’s budget, $3.5 million from the State of Wisconsin’s Capital Tourism Grant, and an additional $500,000 from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Harbor Assistance Program.

Port Milwaukee anticipates that the new dock will positively impact the economy and tourism in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Great Lakes region. The celebration event will also be attended by Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld, Port Milwaukee’s Director Jackie Q. Carter, Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, and Visit Milwaukee’s President and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith.

The construction is expected to be completed ahead of the 2026 cruise season, during which Port Milwaukee will host 22 cruise ship calls in 2025, with a total of 44 itineraries lined up between late April and mid-October. Cruise lines scheduled to stop at the port include Viking and Pearl Seas, among others.

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