Section Of Old Plank Road Trail Closing Aug. 25 For $1.3M In Work

NEW LENOX, IL — A seven-mile section of the Old Plank Road Trail from Schoolhouse Road in New Lenox west to Washington Street in Joliet will close Monday, Aug. 25, for a $1.3 million rehabilitation project expected to last about two months.

Barricade will be installed at every street crossing point from the west side of Schoolhouse Road to the Washington Street access.

The Forest Preserve District has been growing and creating greenways and preserving open space since it was established in 1927.

"We’ve established 135 miles of trails, more than 50 preserve access points, and seven visitor facilities that invite people to explore and reconnect with nature," said Deputy Director Adam Oestmann. "But with every new addition comes the responsibility to care for what we’ve built.”

That responsibility led to the launch of the Forest Preserve’s Infrastructure Maintenance and Replacement Program in 2013, which helps guide long-term care for more than 700,000 square yards of asphalt roads, parking lots, and trails. The Old Plank Road Trail, a 22-mile corridor built on a former railroad line, was flagged early in the program as needing rehabilitation.

“Building new trails and making new connections will always be exciting, but just as important is caring for the ones that already exist,” Oestmann said. “The Old Plank Road Trail serves many communities and offers people the opportunity to get outside to walk, run, ride, and recharge. Recreation is certainly about fun, but it’s also about well-being, and it brings me a lot of joy to know we have a system in place to care for the trails that provide those opportunities.”

The trail project is scheduled for completion by late October, weather permitting.