West Branch DuPage River Trail will connect Winfield Mounds (above) and West DuPage Woods forest preserves through downtown Winfield. (Photo courtesy of DuPage County Forest District)

Ground was broken this week for construction of a 3-mile stretch of the West Branch DuPage River Trail that will connect Winfield Mounds and West DuPage Woods forest preserves through downtown Winfield.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County collaborated with the village of Winfield and the Winfield Riverwalk Committee to complete the segment to connect residents to Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve, West DuPage Woods Forest Preserve, Wynwood Park, Lions Park, Oakwood Park, downtown Winfield, the Winfield Metra station and Central DuPage Hospital.

“Winfield is pleased to have a new regional trail in our village’s town center,” Winfield Village President Erik Spande said. “The trail will provide opportunities for recreation, health and wellness, appreciation of the natural environment, increased development and new customers for Winfield businesses.”

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President Joe Cantore agreed. “This segment will provide an environmentally friendly alternate route for DuPage County residents to get to these popular spots in the community. It’s an important link for bicyclists and all trail users.”

Work consists of building a 10-foot wide regional trail and bikeway that meanders through downtown Winfield along the West Branch DuPage River. There will be approximately 2.1 miles of crushed limestone screenings, 0.3 miles of asphalt, and 0.6 miles on street with striping and signage. It will also include construction of 640 feet of boardwalk and an 80-foot long 14-foot wide prefabricated steel bridge. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2017.

The project costs $2.9 million and will be supported by $2.2 million in federal funds through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) and the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) administered by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP); $184,000 from the village of Winfield; and $538,000 from the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s construction development and bond funds.

This segment is one of the critical links remaining to complete the 23-mile long West Branch DuPage River Trail, which will ultimately extend from the North Central DuPage Regional Trail in Hanover Park south to the county line where it becomes the DuPage River Trail and extends to the I&M Canal Trail near Channahon in Will County.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate to provide DuPage County residents with this wonderful link in the community and another way to connect to nature,” said Forest Preserve District Commissioner Al Murphy, District 6.

“As metropolitan Chicago’s comprehensive planning agency, CMAP actively supports implementation of the Green Infrastructure Vision for our seven-county region,” said Joseph C. Szabo, CMAP executive director. “By programming federal funds to projects like the West Branch trail, greenway trails in the region have increased to 771 miles — more than halfway to our 2040 goal of about 1,300 miles.”