$1 million grant awarded for scenic bridge’s replacement near Warrenville

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been awarded a $1.06 million grant to help replace a deteriorating bridge near Warrenville.

The bridge over the West Branch of the DuPage River used to lead to a religious retreat house run by the Cenacle Sisters. Though the center was demolished years ago, the Cenacle Bridge has remained a fixture of the landscape within the Blackwell Forest Preserve.

“The Cenacle Bridge has connected people to nature for generations, but it’s long overdue for replacement,” said Forest Preserve President Daniel Hebreard in a grant announcement. “With this funding we can build a safer, more accessible bridge that strengthens our trail system and better serves everyone who enjoys Blackwell Forest Preserve.”

The 115-foot-long bridge features white X handrails and became part of Blackwell’s Cenacle Trail, which connects Batavia Road with the regional West Branch DuPage River Trail system.

“I think that pictures don’t do it justice. When you’re there in person,” forest preserve Commissioner Jeff Gahris said in 2024, it’s a “cool-looking bridge.”

However, a 2021 bridge inspection identified deficiencies, according to a presentation to the board last year about pursuing the grant application.

The forest preserve district was named one of dozens of grant recipients across the state receiving a combined total of more than $139 million through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.

The estimated $2.2 million bridge project has also received $300,000 in federal funds and $250,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, according to the district. Engineering is expected to begin in 2025, with construction potentially starting in 2027.