Great Western Trail bridges under construction

Great Western Trail users on the east side of Lombard will have to spend one more summer detouring around Grace Street, St. Charles Road and the Union Pacific West Line railroad tracks.

But come November, contractors should be wrapping up construction of three bridges to carry the trail over those obstacles.

Work on the bridges began Monday as employees of Coal City, Ill.-based D Construction started clearing brush from the areas where the bridges will be built, said Paul Kuehnlenz of the Lombard public works department.

“There’s a couple weeks of preliminary work before they really get into it,” Kuehnlenz said.

Crews also have to set up erosion control before digging holes into which bridge supports will be placed.

“Once they start excavating, then it’ll really start going fast,” he said.

The project includes the bridges, retaining walls, embankments, a paved trail and lighting. Last summer, Lombard trustees voted to improve the bridges’ design, adding the village logo, textured walls and enhanced railings to the plan.

Village officials have said the bridges will make the trail safer for pedestrians by eliminating busy street and railroad crossings.

Money for the project comes from federal and state grants, DuPage County and from about $2 million in Lombard tax increment financing district funds.