Gilman Trail work will close road in Aurora

A section of Galena Boulevard on the west side of Aurora will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12, until 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, while the new Gilman Trail bridge is installed.

Several detours will be in place during the construction period:

• Eastbound vehicles will be routed south on Gordon Road (which becomes Prairie Street), then north on Barnes Road to Galena.

• Westbound drivers will be directed south on Barnes Road, then west on Prairie Street as it becomes Gordon Road and re-connects with Galena; westbound vehicles also may detour north on Hankes Road and return to Galena via Densmore Road.

The Gilman Trail will be closed during this time. Trail users must exit at the Barnes Road and Densmore Road crossings.

The new bridge is designed to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as provide a gateway for drivers approaching the city from the west on Galena.

The Gilman Trail is one of the nation's first rail-to-trail conversions. Dedicated as a National Heritage Corridor, it skirts the south and west portions of Aurora, running 11½ miles between Hill Avenue in Montgomery and the campus of Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove.

The bridge project is part of the 2008 Open Space, Park and Recreation Investment plan that reinvests referendum funds to improve community opportunities for recreation.