Monona Waterfront/John Nolen Corridor Plans

In 2022, multiple distinct but highly related planning efforts began that will strongly impact the John Nolen Drive corridor, from Law Park to Olin Park. Since each of these efforts will impact Olin and Turville Parks in terms of either use or access or both, we present links here to these important planning efforts.

Rebuild of John Nolen Drive:

The first effort, driven by the State Department of Transportation and City of Madison Traffic Engineering, is the rebuilding of John Nolen Drive, from the North Shore Drive intersection downtown to Olin Avenue at the south end of Olin & Turville Parks.  An engineering consultant team has already been hired for this project and preliminary design work is underway. This project is largely driven by the deteriorating condition of the six causeway bridges between downtown and Olin Park. But this redesign also provides an opportunity to reconstruct and perhaps widen the adjacent ped/bike path that parallels the roadway, to provide better separation of that multi-use path from vehicular traffic, and to otherwise enhance this gateway that links Olin Park to downtown Madison.

The City of Madison supports a website that provides updates on this project, and includes dates of meetings designed to seek public input on this re-design.  

Lake Monona Waterfront Project and Olin Park Facility Renovation

Running in parallel and overlapping with the John Nolen Drive rebuild was the long-envisioned redesign of Law Park and its extension along the causeway to Olin Park. Also included within this Monona waterfront vision was the former State Medical Society building on the northern shore of Olin Park. This building has been acquired by the City of Madison and has been converted into offices for the City's Park Division and MSCR (Madison School & Community Recreation) Central facility. 

In 2022, a public-private design competition was launched which invited nationally-recognized design firms to submit ideas for a total redesign of Law Park and its connections to the causeway and Olin Park. This Monona Waterfront Design Challenge resulted in the selection of the architectural firm, Sasaki, to develop a full design for the waterfront that has been completed and adopted by the Madison City Council as part of the city's comprehensive plan. Efforts are now underway by Friends of Nolen Waterfront and the city to secure private and public funds to implement this inspiring vision. The first phase of the project, rebuilding the John Nolen causeway, is presently under design and, with the help of public funding, is expected to start construction in 2025.