New Veterans Memorial Trail Section Open For Public Use

The new paved section of Veterans Memorial Trail is now open for public use.

The 3.5-mile section travels north from the Spring Creek Greenway Trail in Hadley Valley preserve in New Lenox to the state-owned 159th Street Bikeway in Homer Glen.

The 7-mile bikeway links to a trail system in and around Orland Park’s Centennial Park in Cook County. From there, path users can travel east on trails into Chicago or north into DuPage County. Veterans Memorial Trail parking is available at three Hadley Valley Access areas.

Forest Preserve District of Will County Board President Joe VanDuyne cut the ribbon on Oct. 28 with fellow commissioners at the path’s pedestrian tunnel under 167th Street.

VanDuyne thanked the partners who helped make the $7.5-million project a reality, including the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, the City of Lockport, the Village of Homer Glen, ComEd and other state and federal agencies.

“By working with other agencies, municipalities, park districts and private developers, we can connect our forest preserves, our communities and our residents,” he said. “Together we achieve more.”

He also acknowledged legislators who support federal alternative transportation programs, which funded the majority of the project.

Local contributions included $575,000 from the City of Lockport.

Tollway corridor

The trail, which also includes a pedestrian tunnel under Bruce Road, was envisioned more than 25 years ago as planning for Veterans Memorial Tollway (Interstate 355), was taking place. The Tollway provided a 15- to 20-foot-wide corridor for portions of the path.

Cassaundra Rouse, executive director of the Tollway, congratulated the Forest Preserve District on the project's completion.

“You’ve done a great job building this beautiful new trail that’s perfect for biking, rollerblading, running, hiking – and in the winter months – cross-country skiing and snowshoeing,” she said. “We are very happy to have played a role in supporting this accomplishment that will benefit residents for generations to come.”

The intergovernmental agreement with the Tollway that led to the path also provided mitigation funding for the Forest Preserve’s largest wetland, prairie, stream and habitat reconstruction at Hadley Valley

Future path extensions

In the future, Veterans Memorial Trail will be extended north from 159th Street to an existing section of Veterans Memorial Trail in DuPage Township. That section of trail travels 3.26 miles east from 135th Street in Romeoville to I-355. From I-355, the path travels north 1.47 miles to Internationale Parkway in Woodridge.

Eventually, the new trail section in Homer Township will be extended south to Route 6 in New Lenox near Silver Cross Hospital.