West Branch Riverway Trail Groundbreaking Taking Place Tuesday, September 27
Ceremony Will Take Place at 1:30 p.m. at Wil-O-Way Commons
Representatives from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, City of Naperville and the Naperville Park District will join together to celebrate the groundbreaking of the West Branch Riverway Trail on Tuesday, September 27 at 1:30 p.m. at Wil-O-Way Commons, located at 1071 W. Jefferson Ave. in Naperville.
“The West Branch Riverway Trail will connect historic McDowell Grove to downtown Naperville and serve as a valuable resource to the community and forest preserve visitors,” Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President D. “Dewey” Pierotti Jr. said. “Not only will this trail provide the venue to get outdoors to take in nature, but it will also serve as a significant connection in the 23-mile West Branch Regional Trail, a trail system which extends north-south from Hanover Park to Will County.” Pierotti also noted that the Forest Preserve District facilitated the development of the trail and will take the lead in its construction.
Members of the public are invited and encouraged to join in the groundbreaking for this recreational amenity, and parking for attendees will be available along Jefferson Avenue.
“This trail extension is another way that intergovernmental partnerships enhance the quality of life for our residents, businesses and visitors,” Mayor A. George Pradel said. “By working together, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, City and Park District are giving people more options to walk, hike and bike throughout Naperville. I look forward to completion of this trail extension and seeing families enjoying it together.”
The new trail portion will extend the West Branch Riverway north from Wil-O-Way Commons on Jefferson Avenue to just north of Ogden Avenue, where it will join an existing trail system in McDowell Grove Forest Preserve. The 0.9-mile paved trail extension will proceed through a new railroad underpass north of Wil-O-Way Commons and also through a new underpass at Ogden Avenue. Construction is slated for completion in 2012.
“In resident surveys, trails consistently rank as the top recreational need in Naperville,” Naperville Park District Executive Director Ray McGury said. “We thank the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for taking the lead in constructing this important trail connection.”
This extension furthers the mission of the 1992 West Branch Naperville Riverway Project Agreement, which was to create a recreational public walkway throughout Naperville along sections of the West Branch of the DuPage River. Together, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, City and the Naperville Park District work to maintain existing trail segments and construct new ones.
For more information about the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, visit www.dupageforest.org. For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us. For more information on the Naperville Park District, visit www.napervilleparks.org.