Phase 1 of construction along John Nolen Drive (which spans from Lakeside Street to Broom Street) began Oct. 13, 2025 and is expected to finish up in the summer of 2027. During this time, the Alliant Energy Center will be fully accessible; however, we recommend that visitors plan extra time for their drives or find alternate routes to our campus.
While all of our entrances will remain accessible, we strongly recommend that visitors use the Rusk Avenue or Quann-Olin Parkway entrances to avoid higher areas of congestion.
Here are some other things to keep in mind as you plan your visit during phase 1 of construction:
- Access to and from downtown Madison via John Nolen Drive remains open, but traffic is limited to one lane in each direction along the causeway
- Visitors can continue to use Highway 12/18 (the Beltline) to access our campus, but there may be a slower flow of traffic on John Nolen Drive
- The bike path will remain open through early summer 2026, and an alternate route around Monona Bay will be available from summer 2026 until phase 1 is nearly complete
Phase 2 (Olin Avenue to Lakeside Street) is expected to take place from Spring 2028 to Fall 2029 and phase 3 (Highway 12/18 to Olin Avenue) is anticipated to be completed from Spring 2029 to Fall 2029.
For more information, please visit the City of Madison's John Nolen Drive project page.