Planning & Design
Old Highway Road Trail (Existing Roadway)
Old Highway Road Trail is starting design in 2026 and is planned for construction in 2027.
The 1. 8 mile trail will connect the residents to the existing Lake Park Road Trail and the Friendship Trail. The proposed trail will be located on the south side of Old Highway Road.
The existing roadway will be rebuilt in 2026 and will shift slightly to the north and will remove the existing bike lanes that are on the roadway to allow for the pathway to be constructed within the road right-of-way.
The construction of this 1st section of the High Cliff Connection will start the regional east/west corridor from the Miron Trestle Bridge to High Cliff State Park.
Funding is being provided through a variety of sources as noted below.
(December 2025)
Woodlands West (north side of STH 114)
Design started on this segment in Fall 2025 and will continue through 2026 with bidding planned for late 2026 and construction planned for early 2027.
The trail will be located on the north side of STH 114– reaching from the existing trail just west of Lake Park Road and will extend west to Kernan Avenue.
This trail will be collaboration between the City of Menasha and the Village of Harrison as the trail crosses both municipalities.
In the immediate term, this trail segment will connect all the residential surrounding Kernan Avenue to Lake Park Road and the future Old Highway Road Trail & Friendship Trail. This immediate connectivity will provide multimodal access to commercial, residential, and government facilities. In the longer term, this is part of the overall High Cliff Connection that will provide connectivity from The Trestle bridge to High Cliff State Park.
Funding for design is being provided generously by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
(December 2025)
Pigeon Road Trail Rehabilitation (Existing Trail)
The Village of Sherwood will be rehabilitating the existing Pigeon Road Trail which reaches from State Park Road to Blue Heron Court. The rehabilitation will include safety upgrades at road intersections, resurfacing, and utility relocations.
The project is currently in design and is planned for 2026 construction.
Funding for the project is from the Village’s trail fund, a WisDNR grant (see below), and a contribution from the CFFVR.
(December 2025)
Jefferson Park Trail Rehabilitation
As part of the Jefferson Park Master Plan, the trails throughout the park were realigned and widened. DNR Stewardship funds contributed $100,000 towards this project as part of the larger High Cliff Connection.
Work was completed in Fall 2024.
With the award of the WisDOT grants for the feasibility studies, the team hired KL Engineering, Inc. to further review potential trail alignments that were referenced within the High Cliff Connection Master Plan.
These studies reviewed potential trail alignments based on safety, environmental impact, utility impacts, design & construction costs, public input, potential real estate needs, and overall connectivity.
Two separate studies were completed — one that addressed the trail along STH 114 and then the second one which reviewed trail segments along local roadways — Pigeon Road, Old Highway Road, and Manitowoc Road.
The studies started in 2024 and were presented to and approved by Sherwood, Harrison, and Menasha in February and March 2025.
The WisDOT grants covered 80% of the project costs and the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region covered the 20% local match.
High Cliff Connection Master Plan
In 2020 The Fox Cities Trail Summit identified the High Cliff Connection as a regional priority. Following the Summit, in 2021, the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (CFFVR) donated $100,000 towards the completion of a Master Plan for the High Cliff Connection.
In 2021- & 2022, the East Central Wisconsin Regional Plan Commission worked with HKGi and the community to develop a master plan for the High Cliff Connection. The master plan was presented to all communities and adopted by ECWRPC in October 2022.
Funding Projects
Old Highway Road Trail (Existing Roadway)
The Village of Harrison applied for a Wisconsin DNR (WisDNR) grant for part of the construction costs for the Old Highway Road Trail.
In Fall 2025, the Village was awarded $160,00 from the WisDNR for the construction of the project.
The roadway will be reconstructed in 2026 and remove the bike lanes and shift the roadway slightly to the north. The trail will be on the south side of the reconstructed roadway within the road right-of-way.
Construction is planned for 2027
Pigeon Road Trail Rehabilitation
The Village of Sherwood applied for a Wisconsin DNR (WisDNR) grant for the rehabilitation of the existing Pigeon Road Trail which reaches from State Park Road to Blue Heron Court. The rehabilitation will include safety upgrades at road intersections, resurfacing, and utility relocations.
In Fall 2025, the Village was awarded $185,440 from the WisDNR for the construction of the project.
Woodlands West Trail (north side of STH 114)
The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (CFFVR) has funded 100% of the design costs for the “Woodlands West” segment of the proposed High Cliff Connection section based on reduced federal funding available and extended timelines for federal grants (earliest design funds available would be 2029 and construction in 2031).
Construction is currently planned for 2027 pending securing construction funding.
Old Highway Road Trail- Existing & Proposed
WisDOT awarded the Village of Harrison a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant for $935,489.34 for design and construction of the new trail. 80% of the project costs are covered by the WisDOT grant, with the remaining 20% covered by local funds, additional grants, and some funding from CFFVR.
Design is planned for 2026 and construction in 2027.
Jefferson Park Trail Rehabilitation (existing)
The High Cliff Connection team worked together to apply for a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Grant for the trail rehabilitation in Jefferson Park in Menasha submitted the grant in 2023 and was awarded $100,000 match for the improvements in April 2024.
Feasibility Studies
In 2022, we wrote grants for Feasibility Studies to further study select potential corridors identified in the High Cliff Connection Corridor. The sections being studied include the following locations:
- Old Highway Road
- Pigeon Road (north section)
- Manitowoc Road
- STH 114
The grants were awarded and are funded 80% by WisDOT and then the 20% local match is being funded by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.