The Trestle Trail will offer several several amenities as indicated on this map courtesy of Fox Cities Greenways.
Trestle Trail Triumph
4,000-foot span a cause for excitement in the Fox Cities
by Adam Hardy Years ago, a trestle railroad bridge stretched across the juncture of the Fox River and Little Lake Buttes des Morts, connecting two small Wisconsin municipalities. On one bank lay the city of Menasha, on the other sat the town of Menasha. Though it was illegal for pedestrians to
cross the long and dangerous expanse on that bridge, for some area children it represented a right of passage; a quest to test the will. If a train came, there was only the water below for escape. 
| Linda Stoll, president of Fox Cities Greenways, talked about the Trestle Trail at the organization's annual meeting in January. A map of the trail and bridge is displayed
behind her. Photo by Joel Patenaude. |
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"I grew up just two blocks from where the Trestle Trail is going to be," local resident Ellen Kunz said. "As kids, we were never supposed to cross the trestle bridges, but some of us did."
Needless to say, for mothers on either side of the lake, it was yet another potential pitfall that needed the fear of God, or at least of Dad, to save their kids from foolhardy exploration. Many of those children have grown up to become parents themselves. Trains no longer run on that trestle bridge, and the tracks have been
removed. Still, for some, the temptation to cross never abated. For others, the knowledge that their own children might wander onto the old, dilapidated structure was enough to keep the bridge present in the hearts and minds of Menasha residents.
So, to satisfy the children within as well as protect the children without citizens on both sides of the lake began talking. Instead of scaring kids away, or tearing down the old bridge, they asked themselves, "Why not
make it safe to walk on?"
As a dedicated Trestle Trail project volunteer, Kunz said she has heard from other longtime residents who are excited about the prospect.
"People have sent notes along with their donation checks saying, "When I was a kid, my mom told me to never cross that bridge. And now I'm looking forward to getting on it and seeing what it is like out there.'"
Trail set to open August 31
It took nearly a decade to get all the pieces in place. But last month, the town of Menasha signed a building contract and broke ground for the Trestle Trail. It is now tentatively scheduled to be complete and open to the public on August 31.
Once finished, the trestle bridge will span 1,900 feet of open water and run a total of 4,106 feet.
Coming from the direction of Lake Street on the northwest side of the
Little Lake Butte des Morts, pedestrians, joggers and bikers will be able to make their way down the boardwalk past Fritse Park, before being greeted by an elaborate gateway monument, which will stand as a welcoming sentinel over the bridge proper.
Making their way out over the churning water and into the cool lake breeze, trail users will pass a south-facing fishing deck. Several hundred wooden planks later, they can stop at a north-facing observation
platform, which will allow views of both the river and the lake. Another few hundred feet more will take them midway close to 1,000 feet into the waterway, where they will find a 20- by 30-foot open-air pavilion.
Heading east, they will pass another observation platform and fishing deck. Back on dry land, the walkway will continue down a narrow finger, then turn 90 degrees and to the remodeled lift bridge, past the Menasha Locks, into the town of Menasha.
"The central pavilion is going to be the marquee point," said Michael Kading, director of parks and recreation for the town of Menasha, "where we can stop in the middle of the lake, enjoy some timeout, look north and south, and take a deep breath in midst of the midstream of the madness of life. That is what I'm looking forward to."
Kading has been a key player in the Trestle Trail's long saga. He said he
is relieved and excited that the project is finally under way, particularly because of what it means for the greater Fox Valley area.
"The Trestle Trail is part of a greater trail system called the Friendship Trail, which will eventually connect from Manitowoc to Stevens Point," Kading said. "By the end of this year, you will be able to take the Trestle Trail, head west, and connect up with the Wiouwash Trail." The
Wiouwash is a 16.3-mile train running from within the city of Oshkosh to the north Winnebago County line.
The Trestle Trail's trail
Discussion about the transformation of the old bridge into a pedestrian walkway began back in 1995, with strong voices coming from the ranks of a new fund-raising organization called Fox Cities Greenways.
"Greenways has been working on the Trestle Trail in earnest since 1998.
But the completion of the trestle has been in the strategic plans since the organization was founded in 1995," Greenways president Linda Stoll said.
The basic idea was to restore and remodel the old rail bridge into something that could handle nonmotorized traffic both safely and easily. The potential benefits were tantalizing for residents who liked to hike and bike, as it would be the first and only way to legally walk, run or bike from one side of the lake to the other.
But much like for the youngster of yesteryear trying to cross over, the gulf between the dream and real-world achievement proved difficult and sobering for the trail proponents.
"The first hurdle we had to leap was who was going to own (the bridge)," Stoll said. "There were some concerns about liability because the bridge sits in the Fox River, which is contaminated with PCBs. The concern was that if anything happened to one of those pilings for any
reason, whoever owns the Trestle will be liable for the PCBs around the piling. Nobody wanted to go there."
Gridlock over ownership was eased a bit when the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources stepped in and agreed to negotiate for right of way over the bridge and railroad. But the DNR's involvement was a mixed blessing. While the state agency was willing to own the land, they refused to maintain it. And neither of the two Menasha
municipalities had the funds to manage such a venture.
A windfall came in 1999, when the Wisconsin Department of Transportation agreed to fund 80 percent of the project, provided that the two Menasha communities would foot the remaining 20 percent of the bill. Money from both sides was appropriated and set in reserve, pending negotiation for acquiring the bridge and right of way.
The town and city of Menasha inked a co-leasing agreement for the
bridge and boardwalk. The two municipalities will maintain and manage the area together.
With money and other legal issues dealt with, locals waited eagerly for the project to begin. But their hopes were dashed when an unexpected conflict between the DNR and the railroad erupted, threatening to derail the entire project. Suddenly, what had begun as a local venture to enhance the quality of life for Menasha citizens, flared into a political rivalry between much larger, nonlocal entities.
"Politics got in the way for a bit," Stoll recalled.
If not for the dedication of many Menasha residents, the dream of the Trestle Trail may have been swept away by the machinations of cantankerous organizations. Five years on, the squabbles were set aside. In 2004, the DNR achieved necessary ownership and rights to move forward with the project.
"To the credit of everyone involved, no one gave up," Stoll said. "It was
too important, and there are many, many people in the Fox Cities that need to be commended."
But this left proponents of the Trestle Trail in the same place as before: searching for non-existent funds. Projected costs for the design and reconstruction of the bridge were at 2004 prices, requiring much more money than had been set aside in 1999.
Having come this far, area leaders were unwilling to admit defeat. A joint fund-raising and grant writing campaign by the city and town
managed to garner a $100,000 grant from the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau and another $200,000 in a DNR Stewardship Grant.
This was enough for the municipalities to move forward with engineering and design. So, on August 26, 2004, four official bids by contractors were opened. Janke Construction, of Athens, Wisconsin, submitting the lowest bid, exceeding $1.3 million. While the bid was deemed fair, it was $200,000 more than had been committed to the project. And that
bid did not include the cost of engineering services or the necessary construction of a lift bridge on the southeast end of the trail.
Until then, Greenways had been a compelling but unofficial advocate for the project. In September 2004, the Menasha municipalities and Greenways began formally working together to cover the difference.
Thanks to the Greenways' group, area residents were alerted to the possibility that the entire project could be scrapped due to insufficient
funds. The next day, donations began to roll in. Because of this and further efforts by Greenways, the DOT increased its contribution by $137,000, and Miron Construction Co., of Janesville, Wisconsin, agreed to fund construction of the lift bridge at no cost to the town and city.
Steve Janke, president and owner of Janke General Contractors, is cautiously optimistic his crew will be done in time for the trail to open on August 31.
Janke's 10-man team has had to bring in materials and heavy machinery, including cranes, excavators, barges, loaders and backhoes.
"The project is going OK, I guess. It could be better. The weather is not as predictable as one would think this time of the year, but it is going okay," he said. "We're looking for a little cooler weather the reason being, we have to work in the marshy area with heavy equipment. The
cooler it is, more we will be able to keep afloat on the frost."
The surface of the old bridge and some utility poles have to be removed. New light poles will go up and steel beams installed for the pavilion and fishing piers. When done, the construction crew will have laid 37,000 square feet of decking and 177 timber piles.
Janke's men will also do the roofing, signage, kiosks and the entry monument.
Funds still needed
The larger project has been paid for, Kading said, but there is still cause for fund-raising. "Overall, we are right where we want to be," said Kading. "But we would like to raise, at minimum, another $50,000."
Small site amenities, such as garbage cans, bike racks and signs have yet to be accounted for in the ledger as are overrun costs, Kading said, should they occur.
Given this need, Greenways is still hard at work raising funds and hoping
area residents are still willing to help.
"This is an opportunity for individuals who can only contribute a small amount," Stoll said. "They can still get their name on the list and still feel like they contributed to this. Some of the things we need to buy aren't very glamorous. But if you look at bike racks and heavy-duty trash cans and those sorts of things, they are all very necessary."
Excitement wide spread
Local residents, like Christopher and Ellen Kunz, are stepping up to the challenge by donating funds to the trail, and donating their time to Greenways. As Menasha residents and Trestle Trail enthusiasts, the Kunzes said they couldn't be more excited for August, when the trail will be completed.
"The Trestle Trail is something that we are looking forward to using from all kinds of standpoints: walking, biking and running," Ellen Kunz said.
Christopher Kunz is a marathon runner and biker originally from Minneapolis, where there is a well developed system of trails in place. He sees the Trestle Trail as a golden opportunity to introduce more people to the joys of trails and nonmotorized transportation.
"We see it as a great catalyst to get people excited about trails," Kunz said. "There is no one you talk to that isn't excited about this trail.
Everybody knows about it; people have been talking a long while about getting it going. Hopefully, when people see this and see what trails can bring to the area, they will be pushing for more trails."
Both agreed that having a pedestrian bridge that links the town and city of Menasha will be crucial for the development of a larger trail system.
"The best benefit is it is going to be a vehicleless way to travel," Ellen
Kunz said. "Even my mom, who is 80 years old, and probably one of the older bicyclists in the area, she's looking forward to it. She'll be safe and won't have to worry about cars running her over anymore."
To learn more about the Trestle Trail or to donate to the project, visit www.focol.org/greenways. | |
