A new 500-foot bridge now stretches across the main channel of the Wisconsin River near Sauk City, part of a long-planned effort to stitch together two separate trail systems on opposite sides of the water. The bridge is scheduled to open Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, which covered the project's scope.
The span is designed to serve bikers, walkers and snowmobilers, linking the Great Sauk State Trail in Sauk County with the Walking Iron Trail in Dane County, per the Wisconsin State Journal's reporting. A separate report from WMTV15 News described the structure as approximately 500 feet long, built to serve walkers, cyclists and other trail users as part of that same effort to join the two trail networks. The station reported earlier this month that the trail connection on the Dane County side was not yet ready.
A Century-Old Railroad Bridge Gets New Purpose
The overall Wisconsin River Recreational Bridge and Trail project includes construction of seven bridges, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, along with restoration of an existing railroad bridge that crosses a side channel of the river. That restored span is roughly 100 years old. The Great Sauk State Trail itself runs about 11.5 miles between Sauk City's southeast side and the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area, land that previously served as the Badger Army Ammunition property, per the same report.
On the Dane County side, the Walking Iron Trail currently runs about three miles and is slated to connect with the Great Sauk Trail in Sauk County. Dane County Parks has also scheduled a public event for Thursday to mark what organizers called the completion and limited opening of Phase 1 of the bridge, according to Dane County Parks. The listing says remarks will be followed by a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony open to the public.
Two Decades in the Making
The push to build this crossing has been a long one. Sam Landes said he has been championing the bridge project for about two decades, according to Wisconsin Public Radio, which also reported that county representatives estimated the project would cost about $10 million and be completed in spring 2026.
Funding records show the project was awarded $5,587,672 through a Transportation Alternatives grant in October 2023, according to the Wisconsin Bike Fed, with Dane and Sauk counties each contributing an initial $2 million. Phase 1 construction of the bridge portion began in January 2025 and was expected to wrap up in 2026, the group reported.
What Comes Next for the Trail Network
A broader planned route would connect the Great Sauk State Trail to Devil’s Lake State Park and then the 400 State Trail, while Wisconsin Public Radio reported that both counties have in mind a broader buildout to expand recreational access on either side of the river. Phase 2 of the project is still in planning and design; it will convert nearly three miles of railroad track into a multi-use trail running from the Wisconsin River to the existing DNR parking lot on Highway 78, with that work expected to be complete in 2027 — the same year the Walking Iron Trail connection is expected to be finished.
The scale of that future network has drawn attention beyond the two counties. A 2021 UW-Madison Division of Extension case study concluded that a proposed trail system running from Middleton to Reedsburg by way of the bridge could become the busiest trail in the state, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. Alex DeSmidt serves as park planning manager for Dane County Parks, according to the Wisconsin State Journal's reporting on the project.
Ahead of the bridge's first public crossing, Sauk County issued a notice indicating that a majority of the county's Board of Supervisors and its committees were anticipated to attend what was described as a first look and first crossing, according to Sauk County. The notice specified that the board and its committees would not be taking formal action during that gathering.
