WJOL 1340 |
A Forest Preserve District of Will County trail connection that stretches from Shorewood to Joliet along Black Road opened for public use on Friday, November 12, following a public ribbon cutting ceremony.
“This bridge is going to increase the safety of walkers, runners and bikers,” said U.S. Rep Bill Foster.
The trail connection links the DuPage River Trail in Hammel Woods with the Rock Run Greenway Trail in Rock Run Preserve. The new path includes pedestrian bridges over the DuPage River and Interstate 55. The ribbon cutting was held on the DuPage River bridge portion of the trail connection.
“This bridge is going to increase the safety of walkers, runners and bikers,” said U.S. Rep Bill Foster. “… And it’s going to help everyone who is trying to get out on these trails to explore everything our region has to offer.”
Foster noted that two federally funded grants helped pay for the Black Road project, and that a recently passed federal infrastructure bill will include “many billions of dollars directed toward projects exactly like this that make our highway systems complete with the addition of pedestrian and bike trails alongside.”
Forest Preserve Executive Director Ralph Schultz said the project, which was first conceived in 1999, was long overdue. For a video detailing this 22-year journey, visit bit.ly/blackroadproject.
Now that it has been completed, the trail connection will tie together more than 35 miles of trails in Will County and three times that using an interconnected network of roads and other regional trails, Schultz said. “The completion of this project furthers our ongoing efforts to make multi-modal transportation, wellness and enjoyment of our natural spaces more real.”
Read the full story here: https://www.wjol.com/ribbon-cutting-held-for-forest-preserves-black-road-trail-connection-project/