[citation needed] The highway enters from Minnesota over the Mississippi River just northwest of La Crosse.

I-94 breaks away eastward toward Milwaukee at what is commonly known as the Badger Interchange, where the three Interstates meet with WIS 30.

[9][10] The Dresbach Bridge, spanning the Mississippi River west of La Crosse, was dedicated and opened to traffic on October 12, 1967.

[11] By 1969, another separate section of I-90 was opened, traveling from the Minnesota state line to US 16 (now WIS 16) near La Crosse.

[15] Starting in 2015, the 45-mile (72 km), southernmost section of I-39/I-90 (from US 12/US 18 to the Illinois state line) underwent a major reconstruction project.