Get ready to ride as bike trail expands
By Phil Angelo
Kankakee Daily Journal (Illinois)
December 10, 2008
Construction on the long-awaited riverfront bike trail in Kankakee County will begin this summer.
Norm Strasma, executive director of the Community Foundation of Kankakee County, and Dave Tyson, engineer for the city of Kankakee, made that announcement Tuesday night at a Living and Learning forum at the Kankakee YMCA.
The bike trail, actually a series of trails, has been planned for more than a decade. It would stretch from River Road Park on the south side of the Kankakee River, up through Kankakee, Bradley and Bourbonnais, eventually reaching Kankakee River State Park and linking up with an existing trail system in Will County.
A $400,000 federal grant will pay for the bulk of the work to create a 10-foot-wide all-weather asphalt surface along that stretch, along with benches and signage, Strasma said.
The project also will use $200,000 in local matching funds from the city of Kankakee, Kankakee Community College, Kankakee County, the Kankakee River Valley Forest Preserve and the Kankakee Valley Park District.
The first phase of the project starts at the Splash Valley Aquatic Center, heads north to the south bank of the Kankakee River and then proceeds along the river through River Road Park, Kankakee Community College, Shapiro Developmental Center, Kankakee River Valley Forest Preserve land and Aqua Illinois water company property before crossing the Schuyler Avenue bridge.
Tyson said he expects the project to go out for bids in the spring, with construction beginning as early as June.
Construction of the trail has been a key goal of the Community Foundation, which has worked to get a dozen local governments to cooperate on the project.
Strasma said he hopes to create an enjoyable recreational opportunity for people to enjoy the riverfront view, while also allowing children to have a safe way to bicycle to the community swimming center.
Tyson said plans are being prepared in case a planned public works bill by the new Obama administration has a category for recreation.
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