West Badger Mill Greenway Improvements
September 1, 2026 Update
Project Details – Proposed Work
Sediment Removal:
The City of Madison will be removing approximately two feet of sediment
deposition along the bottom of the channel within the Project Area. This will restore the channel to the original design grades. Currently, sediment is burying existing storm sewer outlets, contributing to street flooding and
reducing the flood capacity of this channel. Construction equipment will be in the area throughout the duration of the construction and limited to areas defined by construction fencing.
Storm Sewer:
Construction will also include repairing and installing storm sewer, including:
- Installing (1) upstream catch basin to collect sediment from the street prior to entering the greenway.
- Reattaching sections of broken pipe.
- Replacing broken plastic pipes with fire-retardant concrete pipes, allowing staff to maintain this area with prescribed burns.
Ecological Restoration:
As part of construction, the contractor will restore disturbed soil with native wildflower and grass seed, along with native plugs and native vegetative matting. Areas disturbed by this work shall be maintained by an ecological restoration contractor until 2028 to support establishing native wetland and prairie species.
Construction Schedule & Impacts
Construction Schedule:
Work is tentatively scheduled to begin in August 2026, with all construction completed by the end of December 2026.
Traffic Impacts:
No streets will be closed, although there may be temporary or partial street closures for the construction of the storm sewer.
Bike Path Impacts:
The path that connects S. High Point Road to Crawling Stone Road may be closed as needed to facilitate construction.
Terrace Areas:
Areas between the sidewalk and curb (terrace) shall be restored with
topsoil, erosion mat, and grass seed.
Utilities:
There are no planned impacts on gas, electric, communications, water, or sanitary utilities that will impact service to residents.
View past project updates »
Project Details
Project Information
Project Overview
This project will remove this existing ~ 2' of deposition along the entire length of the channel south of the bike path underpass and north of Interlaken Pass. This will restore the channel to the original design grades.
This project will also replace existing broken plastic pipes from the adjacent raingarden to the greenway and replace these with fire-retardant concrete pipes and apron endwalls – allowing staff to maintain this area with prescribed burns.
This project will also install a 6'x6' catch basin upstream to collect sediment prior to entering the greenway to reduce future deposition within the channel. This material is burying the existing storm outlets, contributing to street flooding and reducing the flood capacity of this channel. Additionally, accumulation is also impacting the rate at which the water drains from the adjacent bike path, these improvements should help improve these issues.
As part of this project, the City of Madison hired Tree Health Management to evaluate the design and provide recommendations and services to ensure that the existing large oak tree near the channel would be prioritized during construction.
This work includes airspading to safely excavate existing soil and properly prune any exposed roots so that they are not compacted during construction. It also includes treating the tree to project against two-lined chestnut borer and providing a growth hormone regulator that improves long-term health through fibrous root development.
Project Limits
Interlaken Pass north to bike path overpass.
Project Schedule
Construction anticipated for summer 2026.
Public Involvement
There are a number of points of contact during this project where the public is encouraged to give feedback as part of public information meetings and public hearings. Dates, times and locations are indicated below:
Public Information Meetings
More information will be posted when available.
City Process, Meetings
Common Council More information will be posted when available.
Board of Public Works More information will be posted when available.
Project Updates
September 1, 2026 Update
Project Details – Proposed Work
Sediment Removal:
The City of Madison will be removing approximately two feet of sediment
deposition along the bottom of the channel within the Project Area. This will restore the channel to the original design grades. Currently, sediment is burying existing storm sewer outlets, contributing to street flooding and
reducing the flood capacity of this channel. Construction equipment will be in the area throughout the duration of the construction and limited to areas defined by construction fencing.
Storm Sewer:
Construction will also include repairing and installing storm sewer, including:
- Installing (1) upstream catch basin to collect sediment from the street prior to entering the greenway.
- Reattaching sections of broken pipe.
- Replacing broken plastic pipes with fire-retardant concrete pipes, allowing staff to maintain this area with prescribed burns.
Ecological Restoration:
As part of construction, the contractor will restore disturbed soil with native wildflower and grass seed, along with native plugs and native vegetative matting. Areas disturbed by this work shall be maintained by an ecological restoration contractor until 2028 to support establishing native wetland and prairie species.
Construction Schedule & Impacts
Construction Schedule:
Work is tentatively scheduled to begin in August 2026, with all construction completed by the end of December 2026.
Traffic Impacts:
No streets will be closed, although there may be temporary or partial street closures for the construction of the storm sewer.
Bike Path Impacts:
The path that connects S. High Point Road to Crawling Stone Road may be closed as needed to facilitate construction.
Terrace Areas:
Areas between the sidewalk and curb (terrace) shall be restored with
topsoil, erosion mat, and grass seed.
Utilities:
There are no planned impacts on gas, electric, communications, water, or sanitary utilities that will impact service to residents.
August 6, 2026 Update
Construction is anticipated to begin on the week of August 10, 2026.
July 30, 2026 Update
Tree Health Management will be on site on August 11th, 2026 to provide treatment to the existing large oak tree closest to the channel bottom where sediment will be removed. This treatment helps promote root development and growth and is used to increase tree health and durability of the tree.
This treatment will help ensure Madison's urban canopy in this area remains unchanged by this construction work.
Update: This date has been moved to August 14th, 2026.
June 29, 2026 Update
This project has been bid and bids have been opened with a tentative contractor selected. The award of this contract will go to the Board of Public Works on 7/8/2026.
April 6, 2026 Update
This project is currently under design development.