Sinkhole Closes Part of Hank Aaron State Trail

Hank Aaron State Trail and S. 76th St. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that a sinkhole has been detected underneath the Hank Aaron State Trail.

The trail is currently closed between the trail access points at S. 76th Street. and S. 89th Street. Between these two points a sinkhole was created by recent downpours of rain, according to the DNR.

DNR staff report that the sinkhole formed on the surface and that it “extends multiple feet below the paved surface, creating an unsupported void beneath the asphalt layer and posing a safety concern for both trail integrity and trail users.”

Signs pointing the way for the “shortest detour route” will be posted at the temporary barricades at the two nearest access points around the closure: S. 76th Street and S. 89th Street, the DNR said.

Users of the trail can’t catch a break. During the past month, a section of the trail in West Allis has been closed on weekdays for the reconstruction of the 70th Street Bridge that spans the trail. That section, between the S. 68th Street and S. 72nd Street access points, is planned to be closed again on July 14, 17 and 18.

Then, in August the trail will be closed again between S. 76th Street and S. 84th Street during the run of the Wisconsin State Fair because of security concerns at the fair below.

The trail runs east and west for 14 miles, roughly between the Milwaukee Harbor and the Milwaukee County Line, where it connects with westward trails. The Wisconsin Bike Fed has in the past noted that hundreds of people use the trail every day for recreation and commuting. The DNR noted that an estimated 200,000 people use the trail for biking, walking or running annually.

“The DNR understands the importance of the trail for recreational and commuter users and will be making emergency repairs as soon as possible to limit disruption to trail use,” the agency said.

Beyond serving as an important east-west bicycle corridor in the county, it also provides connections to the Oak Leaf Trail network maintained by Milwaukee County Parks.