A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday to celebrate the start of construction for the Valley Passage, which will improve pedestrian access between the Menomonee Valley in Milwaukee and the residential neighborhood to the south.
The Menomonee Valley passage is intended to improve access to jobs in the valley for south side residents. It will be built at the same location where years ago south side workers walked through a tunnel and across a bridge to work in the valley. After much of the industry left the valley the bridge was torn down.
“The Valley Passage will provide a convenient route between the neighborhoods and the Valley and make the jobs in the Menomonee Valley easier to reach for residents throughout the region,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
“Reestablishing physical connections in the region would not have been possible without the leadership and strong partnership between the State of Wisconsin, the City of Milwaukee, and private businesses,” says Laura Bray, Executive Director of Menomonee Valley Partners.
The $3.8 million project includes a bridge over the Menomonee River, a railroad underpass and a path leading up to South 37th and Pierce streets.
The Valley Passage will become part of the Hank Aaron State Trail, connecting the current trail, which runs from Lakeshore State Park to Miller Park, to the trail’s western extension, which will run through the VA Grounds and State Fair Park later this year and eventually to Underwood Creek Parkway at the Milwaukee/Waukesha County line.
The extension of the Hank Aaron State Trail will cost $2.3 million.
The funds for the Valley Passage and Hank Aaron State Trail extension are being provided by federal and state grants.
