Verona's Stretch of the Military Ridge Trail Is Being Rebuilt. Here's When Each Section Reopens.

This week there are three separate closures on the Military Ridge State Trail around Verona. Each has its own sign, its own end date and its own reason. Taken together, they're the start of a sequence that runs through summer 2027. When it's finished, the stretch through town will be paved, three bridges will be new, and the trail will have a new connection to a restored section of the Sugar River.

Over the next 12 months, the trail reopens and closes in stages, and each season has a different stretch you can count on.

Two Projects Share One Corridor

Two different builders are doing the work, which explains most of the confusing signs.

The first is the City of Verona's Military Ridge State Trail Paving Project. In a March 2, 2026 letter to the community, the City said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources had authorized it to work on the trail. The project replaces three existing bridges, and then "the trail will be paved from Old CTH PB to just west of Wildcat Way near Verona Area High School." The City's stated goal is "year-round accessibility for cyclists, runners, walkers, and individuals using mobility devices."

That goal makes sense against how the trail is surfaced now. According to the DNR's recreation page for the trail, the 40-mile route uses both limestone and asphalt, and the 2.5-mile section between Fitchburg and Verona is the paved part. The City's project carries pavement through Verona itself.

The second project belongs to Epic Systems. The City's June 3, 2026 notice says Epic is building a new road, Hyper Drive, that "will connect to Epic Lane, cross over Military Ridge State Trail, and connect with HWY 18/151 and G." Where the road crosses, it creates a long-running detour of its own. That detour is separate from the City's bridge schedule, and it runs on a different calendar.

What's Closed as of Late October

Here's where things stand around Oct. 22, 2026, based on the DNR's current property notices for the trail and the City's posted detours.

The Hwy. J to Hwy. PD closure is the shortest of the three. The DNR posted it for the week of Oct. 19–23, so it should be wrapping up as this post goes live. The other two closures last longer and matter more for anyone who uses the trail every day.

The Lincoln Street Bridge Comes Back First

The in-town closure ends first. The City's Sept. 9 notice said the section between Lincoln and S Franklin would be closed "beginning Sept 14 through mid-November." The DNR's notice, updated Oct. 12, gives a more specific estimate of approximately Nov. 13, 2026. Both agencies call that date approximate, so plan for mid-November and expect it to move a little.

Until then, the detour depends on how you're traveling. People on foot are routed along Lincoln St. and S Franklin St. to W Verona Ave, on the north side of the trail. Cyclists use the same two streets but head south to Schweitzer Dr. If you're walking with someone who's biking, you'll split at Lincoln and meet up again at Franklin.

This bridge is the first of the City's three. The other two come in 2027, so mid-November's reopening is real progress. It won't be the last closure in town, though.

Winter Opens a Window the Construction Can't Close

From December through February, the trail works differently, and the construction schedule makes room for that.

The City's Hyper Drive notice says the Military Ridge State Trail "will be open for snowmobiles from December 2026 to February 2027" through the Epic Lane construction area. The DNR's closure notice shows the same thing, listing the Epic Lane segment as closed through September 2027 "except for snowmobile season."

Those months are a planning window, not an opening date. Dane County Parks says the county's snowmobile trails need at least 6 inches of snow, steady below-freezing temperatures and the required county and DNR agreements before they open, and the county makes the official announcement. On a dry December, the trail may stay quiet for weeks.

The DNR's winter rules for the trail matter whether you ride, ski or walk. Snowmobiles are allowed on the limestone section but not on the paved asphalt between Fitchburg and Verona. The trail is also open for walking, bicycling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The DNR notes that the trail "is not groomed and users must share the trail with snowmobiles," and that skiers don't need a trail pass. In warmer months, the DNR's state trail pass requirement applies to bicyclists and skaters age 16 or older.

Badger Prairie County Park at 4654 Maple Grove Dr is a good winter starting point. Dane County lists it as an access point to the Military Ridge State Trail, with parking and restrooms. The DNR adds that the Ice Age Trail crosses the Military Ridge corridor for a short distance near the Verona parking lot and continues north and south through the park.

Epic's Project Adds Something Back to the Sugar River

Hyper Drive causes the longest detour, and it also brings the biggest new piece of the corridor.

According to the City's notice, Epic is restoring nearly 5,600 linear feet of the Sugar River "from a channelized ditch back to a natural meandering stream," along with more than 6 acres of wetlands and 3.5 acres of upland in the valley. The City says the work is meant to improve water quality, habitat and floodplain function and to help trout and other fish move through the watershed.

The notice also lists three recreation additions: a new shared-use path connecting cyclists to the Military Ridge State Trail, a new public access point on the Sugar River for kayakers and anglers, and a small parking area. The City says the project's partners include the City of Verona, the Town of Verona, Dane County, the Wisconsin DNR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Paddlers are affected in the meantime. The City says Sugar River users should be ready to portage from June 2, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027. The portage will be posted when needed and passes through a construction zone at a controlled intersection.

The 2027 Sequence, in Order

Put the City's and Epic's schedules together and next year falls into a clear order:

1. Early 2027. Ahead of the trail project, a certified arborist has been inventorying trees along the corridor and assessing their risk, and the Verona Press reported that hazard-tree removals are planned for early 2027.
2. Early spring 2027. Construction starts on the City's remaining two bridges, one east of Wildcat Way and one west of Old PB.
3. July 2027. Those two bridges are scheduled to be finished.
4. Summer 2027. The trail is paved from Old CTH PB to just west of Wildcat Way.
5. Sept. 30, 2027. The Hyper Drive detour on Epic Lane and the Sugar River portage period both end.

Spring 2027 looks like this winter with the locations moved. Once the Lincoln Street bridge reopens in November, that section should stay open through the cold months, while the Epic Lane detour continues outside snowmobile season. In spring, the closures shift to the bridges at Wildcat Way and Old PB. If you use the trail near Verona Area High School or on the Old PB end, expect to detour from spring into July.

Paving comes after the bridges for a practical reason. In its March letter, the City said the trail will be paved "after the bridges are installed." So late summer 2027 is the earliest the full paved stretch through town could be ready.

A November Meeting Is Still Coming

The September notice says the City will hold "a Public Information Meeting... in November to discuss the Military Ridge State Trail paving project." As of mid-October, no date or location had been posted. The City held the last one on March 18, 2026, at the Verona Senior Center, 108 Paoli Street. That meeting covered project design, expected closures and detours, and the schedule.

If you have questions about spring detours near your usual access point, the November meeting is the place to ask. In the meantime, the City posts construction and status updates on its Military Ridge State Trail paving project page, and Verona Public Works takes questions at 608-845-6695. The DNR's Military Ridge property notices cover the full 40 miles and have been updated as dates change. The City's Hyper Drive notice has the Epic Lane detour map.

Alan Feder pays close attention to changes like these because they shape what daily life in Verona looks like for the people he works with. If you have questions about how the trail work affects your corner of town, or you just want to compare notes on the best winter access points, Madison Home Guides is glad to hear from you. Let's connect.