Dane County, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission entered into an Interim Use Trail Agreement for approximately three miles of track in Dane County extending south from the Wisconsin River, at Sauk City, to a DNR parking lot adjacent to Highway 78.
In October of 2023, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced that $11 million for the Walking Iron Rails-to-Trails conversion project would be included in the county’s 2024 budget. This is one of the Bike Fed’s previous wins. Phase 1 construction of the Wisconsin Recreational River Bridge portion of the project began in January of 2025 and is anticipated to be complete in 2026. Phase 2 of the project is currently in planning and design. It will convert nearly three miles of railroad track into a multi-use trail from the Wisconsin River to the existing DNR parking lot on Highway 78. Work on Phase 2 is expected to be complete in 2027.