Although progress has slowed on the Hank Aaron State Trail, which aims to connect Lake Michigan with the Oak Leaf Trail with seven miles of paths, trail manager Melissa Cook says some progress is being made.

"Progress has been slower than expected due to funding issues and our goal of working with the major redevelopment taking place in the Menomonee Valley," Cook admits.

At the moment there is a roughly one-mile section of trail in the Valley that runs from 13th to 25th Street and another half-mile section that runs east of Miller Park. These are portions that were completed a few years ago.

"The good news is that the city will be extending Canal Street all the way to Miller Park and has agreed to build a parallel trail for the entire distance," Cook says. "This will allow us to provide a connection from Miller Park to 6th Street."

That work is expected to be completed in 2006. And, Cook adds, there is more to come.

"We are also working in partnership with the city to develop the connection between Miller Park and Doyne Park on the west end. We are in the process of doing design and engineering for a ramp and stairway off of the 6th Street Viaduct, which will be constructed in the spring of 2006 and then will make our final connections to the lakefront by using striped bike lanes on city streets. As Menomonee Valley redevelopment moves forward in the future, we will be able to pursue the original plan of building the trail along the south bank of the Menomonee River."

The trail remains a focal point for events and for area cyclists, Rollerbladers and anglers.

"Even though we don't have many paved miles of trail, we do have several fun events on and along the trail," Cook says.

To read an earlier OnMilwaukee.com article about the trail, click here.

The DNR's Web site for the trail is dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/hank_aaron/.