The Oak Brook Village Board has approved spending up to $130,000 for construction engineering work for a 1-mile bicycle and pedestrian path along the south side of 31st Street.
The path, projected for completion by summer 2005 and running from Trinity Lane to Jorie Boulevard, would provide a second, more accessible crossing of Illinois Highway 83 that links with current trails and is closer to residential areas, said village engineer Dale Durfey.
The current crossing goes underneath Illinois 83 to the north, near the Ginger Creek subdivision south of Interstate Highway 88.
“Instead of going into a tunnel, [the new crossing] is going to be a safer feel for people,” Durfey said.
Because of a state grant entitling the village to seek 80 percent reimbursement, the village will eventually pay only about $26,000 of the sum.
Overall, the project will cost about $1.25 million, with Oak Brook picking up 22 percent, or roughly $275,000, of the cost, Durfey said.
The board approved hiring Civiltech Engineering Inc. of Itasca.
The company has developed final plans that have been approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation, and IDOT in June will award and administer a contract for the path’s construction.
The work on 31st Street will result in occasional lane closings on the southernmost lane of the main thoroughfare through the village, Durfey said. Village officials hope construction will begin this fall.
