First phase of North Branch Trail extension opens

Cook County officials last week celebrated the opening of the first phase of the North Branch Trail extension.

The trail now extends 1.8 miles south from Caldwell and Devon avenues to Forest Glen. Construction on an additional 1.2 miles of paved trail is underway and will continue the extension of the North Branch bike trail southeast to Gompers Park, near the Forest Preserves' LaBaugh Woods and Irene C. Hernandez Picnic Grove at Foster Avenue.

"The Forest Preserves offer more than 300 miles of trails in Cook County, which serve as a gateway to nature," said President Toni Preckwinkle in a news release.

"We are proud to mark the completion of phase one of this extension which will serve additional Chicago residents as well as those in eight neighboring suburbs."

The first phase of the extension provides a direct connection to the existing 18-mile North Branch Bicycle Trail as well as a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail and two new bridges - one over the North Branch of the Chicago River at Central Street and another over the Metra tracks serving the Milwaukee District North Line.

Improvements also include an on-demand signalized crossing at the Matthew Bieszczat Volunteer Resource Center at 6100 N. Central Ave.

Phase two of the North Branch Trail southern extension is expected to be complete by the end of 2016. The southern extension cost is $7.7 million, with 80 percent federally funded.

For details, visit www.fpdcc.com.