DuPage River Trail Extension in Naperville Opens Oct. 23

NAPERVILLE, IL — Segment 5, a 1-mile extension of the DuPage River Trail that has been under construction since May 2016, will be open for public use as of Sunday, Oct. 23.

The $2.1 million project extends the asphalt path southwest from Knoch Knolls Park in Naperville to the 95th Street bridge over the DuPage River, according to a news release. The trail extension is the result of collaboration between the Forest Preserve District of Will County and the Naperville Park District.

The construction began in May 2016 and is substantially complete. Although landscape restoration is not yet finished, the trail is in place and may be used by pedestrians, runners and bicyclists. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for spring 2017.

Eighty percent of the project’s funding came from a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The Forest Preserve District and the Park District contributed 20 percent to the cost as well as land for the project.

The trail extension is part of a planned 40-mile DuPage River Trail system that is supported by 12 agencies in two counties, Will and DuPage.

photo via the Forest Preserve District of Will County and the Naperville Park District.