Forest Preserve Approves Projects In Homer Glen, Lockport

HOMER GLEN-LOCKPORT, IL —At its meeting on Thursday, the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Board of Commissioners approved several projects, including in Homer Glen and Lockport.

In Homer Glen, the Messenger Woods Nature Preserve entrance road will be reconstructed, the preserve said. The preserve board also approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Lockport for a new trail.

“Board approval of these projects is an investment in connectivity and preserve access to enhance the user experience and ensure our preserves remain accessible, safe and welcoming to the public,” said Tracy Chapman, the Forest Preserve’s executive director. “These projects will foster growth and also allow us to maintain what we already have, ensuring lasting value for both our natural resources and the communities we serve.”

The Messenger Woods project's contract was awarded to Construction Solutions of Illinois Inc., for $377,766, according to the preserve. The project includes the removal and reconstruction of the entrance drive from Bruce Road to the first parking lot, along with required restoration and mitigation.

The work will begin in the early summer, and should be finished by the end of the year, according to the preserve.

The preserve's agreement with the City of Lockport was approved to fund design and engineering services for the Lockport Loop Trail, the preserve said. The loop will create a multi-use trail from Division Street north along the shipping canal within the Forest Preserve’s Lockport Loop Trail Preserve to the northern limits of the city-owned Chevron Property, then south and east through the Chevron Property and connecting to the I&M Canal Trail.

Projects and engineering for the Lockport Trail are being funded by the 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program, which provided $50 million for land acquisition, facility improvements and restoration, according to a news release.