John Nolen Drive Is Closed. Here's What That Means for Madison Showings This Summer

John Nolen Drive Is Closed. Here's What That Means for Madison Showings This Summer

If you're touring or selling on the south side this summer, how do you actually plan around the closure?

As of June 3, the North Shore Drive intersection at John Nolen Drive is closed and will stay closed through mid-July. South Broom Street is back open. The Capital City Trail and shared-use paths remain open, with bike and pedestrian traffic rerouted to the new path on the northwest side of John Nolen Drive.

For most of Madison, that is a commute story. For anyone buying or selling on the south side of the isthmus this summer, it is a showing story.

 

The plan that actually works

If you're touring south-side neighborhoods (Bay Creek, Burr Oaks, Vilas, Brittingham, parts of Greenbush), expect every tour to take 10 to 15 minutes longer than it did a month ago. The fix is simpler than people make it. Schedule fewer showings per day, build the buffer in upfront, and check Google Maps the morning of your tour rather than the night before. Detour patterns are shifting as crews progress.

If you're selling, two things matter most. Update your showing instructions to reflect the current best route to your home, not what Maps was suggesting in April. And consider whether your showing windows are working against you. Some south-side sellers are seeing better foot traffic in late morning or early afternoon than during the after-work crunch, simply because the corridor is calmer.

The closure is temporary. The strategy you use during it should not be.

 

Frequently asked questions

How long will John Nolen Drive be affected?
The North Shore Drive intersection closure is expected to last through mid-July. After that, traffic on John Nolen Drive will shift to the newly constructed southbound lanes while reconstruction continues on the northbound side. Some level of construction activity is expected to continue into 2027.

Is the Capital City Trail still open?
Yes. The Capital City Trail and the North Shore Drive shared-use paths remain open throughout construction. Bike and pedestrian traffic between Bedford Street and John Nolen Drive has been rerouted to the newly built path on the northwest side of John Nolen Drive.

Should I delay buying or selling on the south side until the closure ends?
For most situations, no. Madison's market is still active, and waiting six to eight weeks to avoid a road closure usually costs more than it saves, especially if pricing strategy or timing matters for your situation. The closure is a logistical issue, not a market issue.

Are showings actually being affected?
Yes, but not dramatically. South-side homes are still showing and still selling. Showing traffic patterns have shifted slightly, with off-peak windows performing better than expected and after-work showings feeling more constrained. Sellers and their agents should be planning around that, not assuming it will sort itself out.

What is being built when this is finished?
When the project wraps, John Nolen Drive will have new pavement, six new bridges along the causeway, three additional bridges for the separated bike and pedestrian path, and reconfigured intersections at Broom Street and North Shore Drive. The corridor is getting a real long-term upgrade, which matters for the south-side neighborhoods that depend on it.

Written by Cait Berry, Insiders Realty - Your local Madison real estate expert helping you live, work, and play right here in Dane County.

Construction details sourced from City of Madison Engineering and Traffic Engineering updates, as of June 3, 2026. Closure dates and conditions subject to change. For the most current information, visit the City of Madison's John Nolen Drive project page.