First phase of main Madison artery reconstruction to begin this fall

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A facelift for Madison‘s John Nolen Drive is expected to start in October, as a contractor has been awarded nearly $34 million for work along the stretch connecting the Madison Beltline and downtown.

Waukesha-based Zenith Tech Inc. was awarded $33.9 million to work on the traffic artery from East Lakeside Street to North Shore Drive, Wisconsin Department of Transportation data showed. The company beat out Plain-based Kraemer North America, which bid $35.8 million, and Black River Falls-based Lunda Construction Co., which bid $40.8 million.

It’s part of a multi-year reconstruction project on John Nolen Drive starting this fall. City officials said the project was 10 years in the making and progressed through studies, commissions and community engagement. The project started planning in 2021, received federal funding in 2023 and coincides with a planned overhaul of the Lake Monona waterfront.

Phase one of the project, from East Lakeside Street to South Broom Street, calls for six reconstructed causeway bridges, three new separate bridges for bikes and pedestrians, changes to lane configurations and cross sections, expanded bike and pedestrian paths, reconstructed storm sewers, new traffic signals and lighting and a reconstructed shoreline along Lake Monona.

Zenith Tech will oversee milling, grading and paving new asphalt and concrete, replacing structures, revamping lighting and parking signals, and retaining wall and restoration work, according to the Wisconsin Project Center, The Daily Reporter’s online bidding service. There will be a disadvantaged business enterprise goal of 6%. The contract completion date is set for July 2027.

The second phase of construction will take place along John Nolen Drive between East Lakeside Street and East Olin Avenue in 2028, city of Madison officials said. A third phase will take place between Olin Avenue and the Beltline Highway.

Causeway reconstruction set to start in October

Reconstruction is expected to begin in early October, officials said on a city of Madison Engineering Division web page.

A public information meeting will be held through Zoom on Monday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required before the start of the meeting.

The project team will discuss the construction schedule and impact on traffic at the meeting. Members of the public will be able to ask questions of the city, WisDOT and the contractor.

The city said its goals for John Nolen Drive are to increase safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, replace aging infrastructure and improve mobility along the mile-long corridor.

In 2023, the project received a $15.1 million grant through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

Drive construction precedes overhaul of Lake Monona waterfront

In 2023, the city of Madison picked Denver-based Sasaki to lead a redesign of the Lake Monona waterfront. Dubbed the Madison LakeWay, the project will cover 1.7 miles of shoreline and 17 acres of land along Lake Monona, officials from nonprofit LakeWay Partners said.

“The Skyline,” which mostly covers John Nolen Drive, will be the first phase of the LakeWay project and will include separate bike and pedestrian paths. A future phase called “The Ledge” will create a pedestrian plaza that will connect downtown to the lakefront, with a structure directly over the causeway.

Construction of the Madison LakeWay is expected to begin in 2027.