John Nolen Drive
Monthly Meeting Reminder
Monthly construction progress meetings will be held IN-PERSON at the field office located at 701 E Washington Ave, Suite LL3 (former Brink Lounge) on the first Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m. starting on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The public is welcome to attend these meetings to learn about construction progress, upcoming work, as well as opportunity to ask questions of the construction team. Access to the field office building is located off of the back parking lot, which is accessed off of the S Blount St driveway. There will be door signs setup directing the public where to go to find the meeting location.
Latest Update
10/31/2025 Project Update
General Project Information
The John Nolen Drive project includes reconstructing John Nolen Drive and six bridges that span the causeway. New curb and gutter with a raised median separating northbound and southbound traffic will narrow traffic lanes to calm high traffic speeds. The Capital City Trail will be moved further from the roadway with the addition of three new bridge structures, increasing pedestrian safety and greenspace along the corridor. The trail will also be widened, increasing the capacity of the trail, with separate paths for bikes and foot traffic.
Project Schedule
Stage 1 Start Date: October 13, 2025
Anticipated Stage 1 Completion: Mid November 2025
Current Stage / Traffic Impacts – Stage 1
Work entails constructing temporary crossovers and temporary signals. Temporary storm sewer outfalls will also be constructed beneath the northbound lanes of John Nolen Drive.
- Traffic restricted to one lane each direction
- No left turns from Broom St to John Nolen Dr
- Nighttime closure of northbound John Nolen Dr at Broom St
- Scheduled for Tuesday November 4th
Upcoming Stage / Traffic Impacts – Stage 2
Work entails reconstructing southbound John Nolen Drive, reconstructing three bridges on the causeway, and the Basset to Bedford pedestrian path.
- Traffic restricted to one lane each direction on existing northbound lanes
- No left turns from Broom St to John Nolen Dr
- Nighttime full closures anticipated for bridge girder removal
Work Week of 11/3/25
- Temporary signals are expected to be activated this week. Once the temporary signals are active, the contractor will be removing portions of the existing median islands to prepare for Stage 2 traffic.
- The contractor will be working during standard hours to install storm sewer across the northbound lanes of John Nolen Dr.
- The contractor will be working overnight to install storm sewer across the left turn lane to Broom St. This work is expected to occur Tuesday night 11/4
- The overhead sign structure will be removed during the same overnight period
Work Week of 11/10/25
- The contractor will be working during standard hours to continue installing storm sewer across the northbound lanes of John Nolen Dr.
- The median crossovers will be paved to prepare for Stage 2 traffic.
- The contractor will launch work platforms into Lake Monona and begin installing cofferdams
Traffic/Pedestrian/Bike Impacts
- There may be minor disruption to traffic as the temporary system replaces the existing signals. Once the Broom St temporary signals are active, pedestrian traffic will be routed through a temporary crossing north of the intersection and the southern crosswalk will be closed
- During the overnight work on 11/4 there will be no motorist access to or from Broom St via northbound John Nolen Dr. Pedestrian and bike access will be maintained.
- The Capital City Trail will remain open; however, widths restrictions will be in place at isolated locations during standard hours. Trail users will be routed onto temporary pedestrian matting or existing roadway while the contractor installs storm sewer pipes across the path. Cyclists are encouraged to dismount from their bikes through these areas.
Please be alert when traveling along the John Nolen Drive corridor. Please note that some work is dependent on weather and may be subject to change. Thank you in advance for your patience throughout this project.
Contact Information
Mark Sponem, WisDOT – Project Manager
Email: mark.sponem@dot.wi.gov
Dan Bauknecht, WisDOT – Project Engineer
Email: daniel.bauknecht@dot.wi.gov
Project Photos
The John Nolen Drive Reconstruction project will encompass a number of infrastructure design improvements along the causeway between E Olin Avenue and S Broom Street.
Phase One of the project includes the segment from E Lakeside Street to S Broom Street and has been selected for funding and is expected to be constructed in 2025-2026. Phase Two includes the segment from E Olin Avenue to E Lakeside Street and will be fully designed and constructed once funding is available.
Overview Exhibit
North Shore - Broom St Exhibit
Phase One (E Lakeside St to S Broom St) will include the following improvements:
- Reconstruction of six bridges along the causeway, with 3 new separated bridges for the bike and pedestrian facilities
- Lane configuration and cross section changes to urbanize the roadway and provide traffic calming
- Expansion of the existing path to separate bike and pedestrian facilities
- Shoreline reconstruction along Lake Monona
- Reconstruction of storm sewer
- Traffic signals and street lighting
- Improvements to the North Shore Dr and S Broom St intersections
- Coordination with potential future improvements identified in the Lake Monona Waterfront Master Plan
A number of exciting improvements are being considered, including:
- Reconstruction of six bridges along the causeway
- Lane configuration and cross section changes
- Expansion of the existing path to separate bike path and pedestrian facilities
- Shoreline reconstruction along Lake Monona
- Reconstruction of storm sewer
- Traffic signals and street lighting
- Others to be determined through public involvement process
Listen to other John Nolen Drive Podcast Episodes:
- Everyday Engineering Podcast Episode: Construction Nuts and Bolts: Future John Nolen Drive
- Everyday Engineering Podcast Episode: Thank you, John Nolen!
Business Resources
City's Road Reconstruction Business Guide
Project Schedule
This project will be planned and designed in coordination with the ongoing with the Monona Waterfront Design Challenge.
The process began in 2021 and is expected to run through 2026. It will include analysis of existing conditions, feasibility studies, and a robust community engagement process to inform preliminary and final designs.