University of Wisconsin-Madison Lakeshore Path

Challenge

The Howard Temin Lakeshore Path is one of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s most heavily used walking and biking corridors, running through the campus and along the shore of Lake Mendota. Recent housing and campus expansions, along with neighborhood growth in Shorewood Hills, have pushed daily traffic to new highs. As a result, conflicts between people walking, biking, and driving intensified at several points along the route.

Because of this, the Wisconsin Department of Administration needed to pursue a safer and more direct connection to the Lakeshore Path, ensuring easier and more reliable access for users. The project also needed to protect the historic character of the adjacent Hasler Laboratory of Limnology and respect the long-standing cultural significance of a shoreline route shaped by thousands of years of travel. 

Solution

SEH was selected by the Wisconsin Department of Administration to design a new pedestrian and bicycle path along the segment adjacent to the Hasler Laboratory of Limnology. The project provides a dedicated, conflict-free crossing that fully separates people walking and biking from nearby traffic, improving safety, comfort, and movement through this busy part of campus.

Integrated Design and Engineering

Close coordination was essential throughout the project because the Hasler Limnology Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From the outset, the design team treated it as a responsibility, shaping decisions around careful structural placement and visual sensitivity. That approach was reinforced through ongoing review with preservation stakeholders, ensuring every step respected the building’s historic character while still meeting modern performance needs.

As work progressed and site conditions became clearer, the project scope expanded to include construction of a significant retaining wall. This new element was not just a functional add-on. It became a key part of the solution, stabilizing the site, reinforcing long-term durability, and introducing a strong visual feature that feels like a natural extension of the corridor rather than an interruption within it.

Honoring a Historic Pathway

This segment of the Lakeshore Path reflects centuries of human movement along Lake Mendota's shoreline. The project enhances the route while respecting its history. By improving safety and access, the project helps ensure that today's users can continue following the same shoreline paths once traveled by early inhabitants more than 12,000 years ago.

The resulting path will strengthen campus mobility, improve safety for all users, and protect a cherished corridor that blends natural beauty, cultural heritage, and modern campus life.