Trail Gap Bridges a Connection Over Fox River

Fellow runners, walkers and bicyclists, please give a nod if you’ve had the dreamy vision of someday living in a world where non-motorized transportation is the norm rather than the exception, with a plethora of peaceful trails that connect us and provide pathways between destinations.

These interconnected trails tie everything together and take us places, safely and happily, without having to deal with the stress and stench of exhaust-spewing vehicles. Trails create healthy communities and promote green, sustainable lifestyles. Trails, in many ways, are lifelines.

The Fox Valley Park District strives each year to bring that dream closer to reality. The just-completed Trail Gap project is the latest addition to the District’s ongoing initiative to extend and connect its 43-mile network of regional trails.

The Trail Gap bridge is the missing link to a terrific trail network that includes the Fox River Trail and Gilman Trail. It was completed last fall and officially christened on Wednesday in a ceremony involving the Park District, City of Aurora and Forest Preserve District of Kane County, all of whom guided this project to its long-awaited completion.

With the connection that crosses the west channel of the Fox River to Hurds Island, the Fox River Trail now runs uninterrupted for 38 miles, with only a short bypass in downtown Aurora. It reaches from Oswego to Algonquin, with further trail links to the Wisconsin border.

Plans have been in the works for years, dating to the mid-1990s, and went through a complicated process of securing permits and obtaining grants. The end result, however, is well worth it, with nearly 80 percent of the $2.5 million project being funded by federal grant money.

“The Trail Gap is a tribute to the collective visions of the Park District, City and Forest Preserve District; we all worked together and utilized substantial government funding while minimizing the impact on local taxpayers,” said Jeff Palmquist, director of planning, development and grants.

This project also aligns quite nicely with the mission and principles of the Fox Valley Park District that date back to when it was founded in 1947: to acquire and preserve public lands along the Fox River for generations to enjoy.

To that end, the Park District will begin work in the coming months on a new trailhead near South River Street Park, where the Fox River Trail and Gilman Trail intersect. When the Park District moved its headquarters from there in 2010, four acres of riverside space were restored for public access and enjoyment.

Since that time, the District has secured additional increments of riverside space in that area and extended the trail one-half mile south from the Trail Gap bridge.

From the new trailhead, users will be able to head north, south, east or west and enjoy the trails in every direction.

The Fox River Trail already enjoys Hall-of-Fame status, named by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as one of the nation’s top 25 rail-trail conversions. And it keeps getting better. Providing safe, enjoyable alternatives for getting around – while keeping our communities active and green – is a bridge to a better tomorrow.

Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net

Fox Valley Park District
Upcoming Events

• Thursday, May 31: Summer’s Here – Let’s Celebrate! Music, ice cream social and rides at Blackberry Farm, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, June 2: Phillips Park Family Aquatic Center and Splash Country Water Park open for the season, noon to 7 p.m. daily.
• Sunday, June 3: Mid-American Canoe & Kayak Race, Fox River, 9 a.m. (St. Charles start) and 10:30 a.m. (Batavia start)
• Saturday, June 9: Splash Bash, Splash Country Water Park, noon to 3 p.m.
• Thursday, June 14: Free Concert in the Park – Yorkville Big Band – at McCullough Park, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, June 16: Phillips Fest, Phillips Park Family Aquatic Center, noon to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, June 16: Vintage Baseball Game and free Ice Cream Social at Blackberry Farm, 1 p.m.
• Sunday, June 17: Father’s Day at Blackberry Farm, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with live music at 1 p.m.