State grant helps complete Hanover Park bike path network

A $450,000 state grant is helping Hanover Park close the loop on its bike path network.

State Sen. Laura Murphy, a Des Plaines Democrat, announced the funding recently as part of a statewide $105.7 million transportation enhancement program.

The proposed County Farm Road multiuse path will fill a missing segment of the village's 11-mile bike path network, explained David Webb, Hanover Park's deputy village manager.

The 1.1-mile section will extend south from the Hanover Park Metra station and connect to an existing bike path that reaches Mallard Lake and Hawk Hollow forest preserves.

"Safe and well-maintained trails give residents, commuters and visitors the opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature," Murphy said in a recent news release. "The new and improved County Farm Road will keep us connected with the environment and each other."

On top of the state grant through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, the County Farm Road improvements received $980,023 through the DuPage Mayors and Managers Surface Transportation Program Webb said.

The project was one of 99 transportation enhancements selected for funding by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The projects run the gamut from biking and walking paths to streetscape beautification, as well as other initiatives that encourage safer travel, Murphy's release said.

The Hanover Park project is also part of $3.5 million worth of improvement grants in the Northwest suburbs, including a pedestrian bridge over Salt Creek in Elk Grove Village, the Des Plaines River Trail in Rosemont and the Oakton Street sidepath in Des Plaines.

"A well-rounded community infrastructure system offers a range of accessible transportation options, including walking and bike paths," Murphy said. "These improvements will make it safer and easier for residents to take in all the natural beauty our area has to offer."