Forest Preserve Receives Second Grant for Black Road Project

Submitted by the Forest Preserve District of Will County

The Forest Preserve District of Will County will receive a second federal grant to help pay for the construction of two pedestrian/bicycle bridges and trail connections along Black Road. The project will provide relief for walkers, runners and bicyclists who are looking for a safer way to cross Interstate 55 and the DuPage River while traveling from the Rock Run Greenway Trail in Joliet to the DuPage River Trail in Shorewood.

In 2014, the District received a $963,200 grant from the federally funded Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. That grant is being used to pay for engineering for the entire Black Road project and construction of Segment 1, which includes a 300-foot pedestrian/bicycle bridge over I-55 and new asphalt trail segments.

The $1.6 million grant announced on Oct. 14 is part of the federal Transportation Alternatives Program. This second grant will allow the District to construct the project’s Segment 2, which includes a 260-foot bridge over the DuPage River and a new trail connection on the south side of Black Road.

Phase I engineering for the $3.3 million Black Road project is due to be completed by November 2015. Phase II engineering should be finished by August 2016. The District plans to seek bids for construction of the bridges and trail extensions in November 2016. Construction is expected to begin in 2017 and be completed in 2018.