Romeoville Receives $5 Million In State Funding For 2 Trail Projects

ROMEOVILLE, IL — The Village of Romeoville will receive state funding for two planned projects as part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grants announced on Wednesday.

The Village will receive $2,999,928 for Route 53 corridor improvements and $3 million for the Renwick Road multi-use path. The Renwick Road project does require a 50 percent local match in funding.

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive the grant notification. This will have a positive impact on the entire corridor," Village Manager Dawn Caldwell told Patch. "These trails will not only provide a safe route along a major highway, but it will also serve the university community, connecting students to key destinations."

The Route 53 project will include street scape improvements and construction of a multi-use path, according to the project list from the state. The project is on Route 53, from Renwick north to Taylor Road, then along Taylor west to the connection with the existing path network at Troxel Avenue.

The Renwick Road project will include the construction of a 1.8-mile asphalt multi-use path. That project is on Renwick from Prairie Bluff Preserve to Route 53, according to a release.

With funding now approved, final construction plans will be worked on in the upcoming year with construction hopefully beginning in 2027.

The Romeoville projects are among 66 awarded across the state, totaling $139.2 million in funding. The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program has a goal of expanding local travel options and enhancing quality of life, according to IDOT. The list of awarded projects was announced on Wednesday.

“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. JB Pritzker said in a release. “Today, I’m proud to announce the largest investment in the program’s history, with more than $139 million going toward bike lanes, sidewalks, trails and other local improvements. This is just one part of the state’s larger effort to reverse decades of disinvestment and create more connected communities.”

The 66 projects approved through ITEP include bike and pedestrian paths and trails, streetscape beautification and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across various modes of transportation at the local level, according to a release.

Made possible by federal and state funds administered by IDOT, ITEP awards are focused on improving bike and pedestrian travel, as well as making other surface transportation improvements that promote a variety of options for getting around communities, a release states.

The department received 233 applications for projects worth an estimated $383 million for the latest funding cycle, IDOT said. The next call for projects will be in 2026.