Supervisor Sumner Applauds Oak Leaf Trail Sinkhole Emergency Declaration

MILWAUKEE – County Supervisor Liz Sumner was thrilled to join her colleagues Thursday in unanimously voting to take immediate action to address the Oak Leaf Trail Zip Line Sinkhole.

“The Oak Leaf Trail is one of District 1 and Milwaukee County’s greatest assets,” said Supervisor Sumner. “Nearly two years ago, the Parks Department was forced to close a portion of the trail, running through the City of Glendale, that was impacted by the zip line sinkhole. For many trail users, the detour from the usual trail route has severely degraded their experience using the Oak Leaf Trail. I am grateful to the Parks Department, community members, and my colleagues who are helping to expedite a fix to the sinkhole and fully restore a cherished resource for the 1st District and our county.”

The resolution, which was unanimously recommended for adoption at the Finance Committee last week, determines that the sinkhole is an emergency and allows the Parks Department to expedite the repair process by bypassing the rebid process for the project.

The sinkhole first appeared in 2019 and construction was originally planned for fall 2021, before issues with the request-for-proposal process delayed the project indefinitely. The sinkhole presents a danger to the surrounding trail infrastructure and county staff expects winter weather will aggravate the damage.

Without the resolution, the project would be delayed until after the winter months. If additional damage were to occur to the trail area the delay could increase the cost of repairs. The Parks Department has shared that they will begin repair work imminently and the impacted portion of the trail should be up and running again before the new year.

Supervisor Sumner encourages all District 1 residents to utilize the Parks Department’s Construction, Closures & Current Projects map to track ongoing capital projects.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.