Bradley nears start of new bike path

BRADLEY – Foot and pedal power will be getting another location to travel along as new asphalt pathway will be soon going out to bid.

The approximate 800-foot-long path will stretch from the end of West Broadway Street and travel along Herman Place, which runs in front of the small triangle park, and then to North Crosswell Avenue where it meets with the Bourbonnais Township Park District’s Perry Farm property.

The project, funded through a 2021 Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant, will likely cost about $500,000, said Bradley Finance Director Rob Romo.

Based on the grant requirement, Bradley will fund 20% of the project. Romo said it will be about $111,000. The state will pick up the remainder, or about $400,000.

The project has not yet been put out for bid for local contractors. It is projected to go out to bid within the next few months.

Once bid, the village is anticipating a one-month construction process to put the 10-foot wide path in place. Barring any unforeseen obstacles, Mayor Mike Watson said the path will be ready for bikers, walkers and runners sometime this year.

This project will make the second trail in the Perry Farm area in which Bradley has assisted.

The village funded half of the nearly $286,000 installation of the 10-foot concrete sidewalk around Perry Farm, notably along Kennedy Drive.

“It’s all about improving the look and appeal of the village,” Romo said after the board meeting. “A lot of people will use this path.”

It was in 2024 when the park district sought annexation into either Bradley or Bourbonnais in an effort to gain funding assistance for needed upgrades. The decision was ultimately made by the park board to seek annexation of the 169-acre park into Bradley.