KL Engineering worked with Dane County to design Phase 2 of the Lower Yahara River Trail and then provided construction oversight for the project. This 1.6-mile trail begins at a new trailhead at Fish Camp County Park, spans the Door Creek Wetlands Wildlife Area with a boardwalk and a bridge over Door Creek, and extends through Lake Kegonsa State Park. Archaeological sites were mapped and avoided with the proposed trail alignment.
The construction of this project took 18 months. It started in October 2023 with the removal of trees, rough grading for the trail, installation of culverts, and grading of ditches for the spring thaw. There are three segments of boardwalk in this phase of the project, totaling 4,212 feet. The boardwalk was designed to limit wetland disturbance, address soil issues, maintain a trail elevation above the 100-year water elevation, and avoid a swamp white oak grove. Crews installed over 450 helical piles to support the new boardwalk. They used temporary timber matting to protect the marsh during construction. Viewing platforms, as well as stairs, for marsh and shoreline access, were included within the Door Creek Wetlands Wildlife Area.
A new 90-foot pedestrian bridge was installed over Door Creek to connect Fish Camp County Park to Lake Kegonsa State Park. The 1.6-mile paved trail was aligned and graded to avoid archaeological sites. An intersection with a snowmobile trail was designed to allow users to cross routes. A combined spur trail was provided to a future parking area for both the Lower Yahara River Trail and snowmobile trail.
Fish Camp County Park improvements included accessible kayak launch areas and an accessible fishing pier. Paths were reconfigured to connect these amenities to the improved parking area, new trailhead parking area, and the Lower Yahara River Trail.
The trail was complete by July 2024 and able to open 4 months ahead of schedule. Construction costs for the Lower Yahara River Trail Phase 2 totaled $6.8 million. The Fish Camp County Park assessable improvements cost $650,000 to construct.
