Lake Bluff Gets $3M For New Pedestrian Path, Bridge

LAKE BLUFF, IL — The Illinois Department of Transportation and Gov. JB Pritzker awarded Lake Bluff $3 million in Transportation Enhancement Program funding to support a new pedestrian bridge and more sidewalk in the village.

The Green Bay Road Pedestrian Bridge and Trail Improvement project was one of 66 projects that were awarded funding, which totaled $139.2 million across all projects.

The project will add a pedestrian bridge over the Canadian National Railroad on the west side Green Bay Road and connect existing paths to the new bridge. The new paths will run on Green Bay Road from Signe Court to IL-137 in the city of North Chicago.

The total budget for the project is $5.1 million and construction is expected to take place from 2028 to 2030.

Construction for the project is expected to take place in 2027 and 2028 and aims to receive a total of $16 million in funding. City officials are also seeking a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant that could provide more than $11 million, officials said a news conference Wednesday.

The funding, which Gov. Pritzker said was the largest investment in the program's history, was made possible through Rebuild Illinois, which encompasses infrastructure improvements across the state.

“The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program is a crucial part of Rebuild Illinois, helping make travel safer and more accessible in the communities that need it most,” Gov. Pritzker said."This is just one part of the state’s larger effort to reverse decades of disinvestment and create more connected communities.”