Indian Lake County Park will close for a month as crews install a pedestrian underpass and make other highway renovations starting in April, Dane County Parks announced this week.
The renovations are part of the county’s plans to improve accessibility to the park with more trails, parking areas and better access to the chapel and other amenities. A key part of that will be the pedestrian underpass connecting the park to Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area on the other side of Highway 19.
The underpass “will provide really great public access,” said Lael Pascual, engagement and visitor service manager for Dane County Parks. “Most people are really excited for the improvements and understanding of the closure.”
While Highway 19 is currently detoured and will be through fall, the road is still open for local access, including the park, until April 21. But after that, the park will be closed from April 22 to May 22.
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The work is part of a master plan approved for the park in February and includes updates to the dog park, additional hiking and skiing trails, and expansion of the scenic overlook, beginning with the improvements along Highway 19.
“That section of Highway 19 is pretty dangerous,” said Jared Wold, co-organizer of the Madison Area Outdoor Group. “It’ll be nice to have something that doesn’t risk crossing oncoming traffic. Long term, this will be a good thing.”
Some have expressed concern about closing the park just as usage picks up with warmer weather. Most objections came from hikers who use the Ice Age Trail, which goes through the park, Pascual said.
But hikers will not be affected by the closure, Pascual said. That’s because, while both park entrances and parking lots will be closed, the county can’t shut down the entire park, meaning it will still be accessible to pedestrians.
While spring is a popular time for the park, it’s not the most popular season, Pascual said.
“Indian Lake County Park is one of or possibly the busiest park in Dane County,” Pascual said. “But we’ll be open for the absolute busiest time, which is June through fall.”
Any time the county has to close the park is inconvenient, Pascual said, but there are currently no plans to close the entire park again while the rest of the master plan is completed.