Huntley board OKs Route 47 bike path

The Huntley village board recently authorized moving ahead with a $1.4 million plan for a new bike and pedestrian path along Route 47.

The planned milelong path would extend along the east side of Route 47 from the north side of Kreutzer Road south to Oak Creek Parkway near the entrance of Sun City senior living community. It would connect with another bike/pedestrian path along the newly extended Kreutzer Road, eventually leading into the Huntley Park District facilities on West Main Street providing a complete loop, according to village documents.

Work on the $6.5 million Kreutzer Road western extension was completed earlier this summer.

"We have a new (bike/pedestrian) path on both sides of Kreutzer Road that runs east-west, it connects basically there," said Lisa Armour, assistant village manager. "Ultimately, as Kreutzer Road gets widened to the east we would certainly continue the bike path."

The village's share of the cost for the Route 47 bike/pedestrian path is $280,390 with the remainder being funded through a $1.1 million Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant secured earlier this year.

The village board recently approved spending $86,275 for hiring Christopher Burke Engineering to do the preliminary engineering work, which will be completed in 2015. Construction of the path likely won't begin until 2016 and will continue through 2017, Armour said.

"The work would be spread over the next two or three fiscal years," she said.

The widening of Route 47 north of Kreutzer Road provided sidewalks on both sides of the roadway enhancing off-road pedestrian and bike paths that connect with existing pedestrian paths along various intersecting east-west roadways. The planned Route 47 multiuse path would provide access to nearby developments and stores, including Wal-Mart and Jewel-Osco, documents show.