Village recreational trails may expand

Seeking to tie into a state-funded road improvement plan, Lincolnshire officials are considering adding recreational paths along a stretch of Route 22.

The paths would bolster Lincolnshire's widespread trail system and connect to a proposed pedestrian walkway over the Tri-State Tollway, Mayor Brett Blomberg said Tuesday.

That walkway will be built next year when the Illinois Department of Transportation builds a wider Route 22 bridge over the tollway, officials said.

The paths also would link Lincolnshire's system -- which leads to Stevenson High School, the Vernon Area Public Library and other destinations -- with a proposed trail in Bannockburn, the village east of the tollway.

The move would give hikers, bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts greater access to trails on the area, including the Lake County Forest Preserve District's Des Plaines River Trail and other routes.

"It's tying all the communities together," Blomberg said.

Village leaders discussed the proposed paths during a committee-of-the-whole session Monday night. Two were reviewed.

One would run on the south side of Route 22 between Storybook Lane and Westminster Way.

The other would be slightly to the west, running on the south side of Route 22 between Berkshire Lane and the Wood Creek Courts subdivision.

The village has the necessary permissions to build the first path, but a contractor's bid for construction came in much higher than expected, Blomberg said.

As such, the board plans to reject the bid and have the town's public works department start on the path, Blomberg said. The town could hire a contractor to finish the trail early next year, he said.

Plans for the second leg aren't as clear yet but are moving forward, Blomberg said. Money for the project could be included in next year's budget, according to a village memo.