This location is part of the Town Of Madison. The Township consisted of land that was south of the City of Madison. Over the years, the town was slowly eaten at the edges by the City of Madison as it grew. A great controversy erupted with the Town of Fitchburg incorporated into a city, and it started to annex parts of the Town of Madison. The problem erupted into lawsuits every few years, one of which when to the Supreme Court. The most recent plan is that the Town of Madison no longer serves a unique role given that the area is totally urbanized and surrounded by city on all sides. As a result, an agreement has been made where the Town of Madison will be dissolved in 2022, with the part south of the beltline going to the City of Fitchburg, and the part north of the beltline going to the City of Madison. The net result is that this bridge will then become owned by the City of Fitchburg.
In the early 2000s, the Town of Madison wished to redevelop the area between US-14 and its eastern border. A plan was developed to build a corporate campus on the east side, improve traffic flow to the local businesses, and improve utilities to the housing stock. A key element was this bridge. East Badger Road simply ended at the railroad tracks. The corporate campus tenants wanted a second access point, preferably one that connected to US-14 to provide an alternate when the beltline was backed up. The solution was found by building this bridge, and connecting to an access road on the west side of the railroad tracks. This west side access road turned to the south and connected to US-14 by an freeway interchange.
