Public Involvement Meeting for County Highway MM Underpass Project - August 28, 2026

On August 28, 2026, the City of Fitchburg held a public involvement meeting for the proposed County Highway MM underpass project. Ross Kaler, Transportation Engineer and city project manager, along with Josh Swaino of the project designer MSA, presented the design, schedule, funding, and answered questions from attendees. The project aims to construct a pedestrian and bicycle underpass and associated trail to improve connectivity and safety.

Discussion Items

• Project Description: The underpass will be a 14-foot-wide by 10-foot-high box culvert with a 10-foot-wide paved asphalt trail (concrete inside the culvert). Approximately 905 linear feet of trail will be built, and about 450 feet of County MM will be reconstructed with beam guard and a paved width of 36 feet. The road profile will not change.
• Schedule: Currently in design; design completion scheduled for the end of 2026. The project will be bid in early 2027, construction will start in summer 2027, and County MM is expected to re-open before the start of school in 2027. Some trail work may extend slightly beyond that.
• Funding: The project received a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant from WisDOT for $430,000, originally covering about half of the $900,000 estimated total cost. The remaining cost will be funded by the City of Fitchburg through its CIP (borrowing). The grant requires the project to proceed on the described timeline.
• Route and Connectivity: The trail will connect to the existing trail on the east side of MM, south of Lionel Court. It will go under MM and exit on the west side into an area of planned redevelopment. Future developments (e.g., Syncopation) will extend the trail northward, eventually linking to the Capital City State Trail at McCoy Road. That connection is not part of this project and depends on development timing.
• Safety Purpose: The underpass will provide a safe way for children and residents to cross County MM, especially for access to Forest Edge Elementary, and fills a gap in the pedestrian network.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Several attendees asked about the choice of an underpass versus an overpass or at-grade crossing. The designers explained that the existing topography (a deep ditch on the east side and significant slopes) makes the underpass the most feasible option.
• One resident asked whether the tunnel would be lighted; staff confirmed that lighting will be installed inside the structure. Lighting on the approaches is not currently planned.
• Questions about drainage and potential flooding were addressed: the culvert will have a continuous grade with the low point outside the structure on the west side, and water will be directed via a flume to the existing ditch. No standing water is expected.
• A member of the public requested that salt not be used on the trail; staff noted that city parks staff will handle snow and ice control with salting, brining, and plowing.
• Concerns were raised about future connectivity: the underpass does not eliminate the existing at-grade intersection crossing at MM and McCoy, and on-street bike lanes will remain.
• Logan, a city staff member, clarified the grant timeline, emphasizing that the grant deadlines are driving the project schedule.
• Steve, a resident, discussed the history of Fitchburg’s opportunistic trail-building approach and the long-term plan to link trails.
• No formal opposition to the project was expressed; questions focused on details and implementation.

Key Outcomes

• The project design is proceeding with input from the public meeting; no formal decisions or votes were taken.
• The underpass will be built to current plans, with construction expected to begin in summer 2027 and completion by fall 2027.
• The city will fund the local share through CIP borrowing; the TAP grant constrains the timeline.
• Future northward trail connections will be built by private developers as parcels develop; the city has no set schedule to complete the link independently.
• Staff will consider feedback on lighting, drainage, and salt use in final design.