The scenic Howard Temin Lakeshore Path will receive $411,000 for renovations beginning April 26, UW-Madison Facilities Planning and Management along with Madison's Transportation Demand Management program annouced Wednesday.
Lakeshore Path, a favorite spot of Madison residents to run and bike, will undergo resurfacing of bike and pedestrian paths, redesigning of street intersections and narrowing of pedestrian paths from 10 feet to eight feet.
It will also see the replacement of rotting willow trees and redesigning of a boat landing located across from univerisity Lot 60, according to Gary Brown, assistant director for planning and landscape architecture with UW-Madison Facilities Planning and Management.
With the current noise disturbance due to the construction on the Crew House, Brown noted the construction will occur only on a portion of the path from Willow Creek West bridge to Oxford Road, causing no noise disturbance to UW-Madison students living in Lakeshore residence halls.
Rennovations are necessary to improve the safety and accessability, Brown said, as well as to prevent erosion and runoff that could have detremental effects.
The cutting down of numerous willow trees has posed a controversy to numerous people, but there are plans to replace 51 trees along the path, according to Brown.
\We need to do it to help take care of some of the erosion and flooding concerns that happened on west campus,"" Brown said.
Brown also said erosion of the path could hsve serious reprecussions for the UW Hospital power supply.
Along with the addition of trees, UW-Madison Professor John Harrington of the Landscape and Architecture Department is working on the project to add additional shrubs and benches along the path.
The path is beneficial to Madison students because it allows for alternative options to driving and allows for a scenic recreation area on campus, UW-Madison TDM Coordinator Renee Callaway said in a press release.
""If we are going to ask commuters to consider leaving their cars at home, we have to make sure the infrastructure exists to support that decision,"" Callaway said.
The project is estimated to take three months to complete and Brown said he expects it will be finished before students return in the fall.
""The project will improve the path surface and provide long-term protection for campus buildings and sensitive natural areas,"" Brown in a statement.
