The Fox Valley Park District and our Board of Commissioners remain committed to trail connectivity with the end goal of linking cyclists and pedestrians from Points A to B – throughout the District’s 48-mile network – without the need for dismount or detour. Thanks to Congressman Bill Foster and his office’s advocacy of this ongoing initiative, a significant gap will be bridged (quite literally) to connect two sections of the popular Fox River Trail in North Aurora.
At Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, Congressman Foster presented FVPD Board President Chuck Anderson with a federal Community Funding Project grant in the amount of $4 million to construct a bike and pedestrian bridge spanning the Fox River and connecting the east and west sections of the Fox River Trail on the north end of the Red Oak property.
The bike and pedestrian bridge reflects the District’s investment along the North Aurora riverfront, specifically on the Red Oak property where a three-season shelter – The Wilds at Red Oak – has been built and the Nature Center is being rehabilitated and modernized.
“It’s always been one of my top priorities to ensure that Illinois receives its share of federal funding, and it’s my duty to make sure that federal assistance arrives in places where it will do the most good for those I represent,” Foster told the board, FVPD staff and members of the community in attendance Monday night. “This project will eliminate a major barrier to trail access and allow more people all that the Fox Valley Park District has to offer.”
Congressman Foster’s office sponsored the Community Funding Project grant, which is made possible through the Office of Community Planning and Development within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Currently in the engineering and permitting stages, construction of the bridge is expected to begin in late 2024 with completion anticipated for Summer 2025. We’ll share more information as it becomes available.
