Metro bike trail to expand in Belleville. Here’s where and how much it will cost
Construction is underway for a $4.3 million bike trail designed to give Belleville west-end residents access to the trail system that runs along MetroLink tracks in St. Clair County.
The new trail will feature a bridge over Illinois 161 and Schoenberger Creek near the intersection of Dutch Hollow Road and Llewellyn Road. This is where the trail will join the existing trail system, according to the St. Clair Transit District.
The bike path will go through the Tecklenberg Woods Forest Preserve, which is owned by St. Clair County. And in a nod to this preserve, the new trail is named the Tecklenberg Trail.
There are three sections of the 1.1 mile trail, which is expected to be finished by November.
The first one will be marked on North 66th Street from West Main Street and run to where North 66th Street dead ends at the now closed King’s House Retreat and Renewal Center at 700 N. 66th St. The roadway will be repaved and signs will be installed. This section is about .6 of a mile.
From there, the trail will go through the Tecklenberg Woods.
The third section comprises the bridge over Illinois 161 and Schoenberger Creek and is about .5 of a mile.
Some residents in the North 66th Street neighborhood have said they didn’t think this was a good location for the trail but didn’t want to speak on the record with their identities.
Ken Sharkey, the managing director of the transit district, said the agency wanted to give west-end Belleville residents access to the countywide system known as MetroBikeLink.
After the Belleville City Council approved its share of funding for the trail, Mayor Patty Gregory praised the plan to expand the bike trail system.
“I always think that bike trails speak to quality of life in communities and they’re great for families, young people,” she said. “If you want to attract young people to your community, it’s always a good idea to have walkable areas and bike trails.”
Bicyclists will have access to a total 30 miles of connected trails from MetroBikeLink and connecting trails from other municipalities, according to the St. Clair County Transit District. The district’s next project calls for the extension of the Old Collinsville Road Trail from Frank Scott Parkway to Ashland Avenue.
Here’s a breakdown of the construction costs of the Tecklenberg Trail:
St. Clair County Transit District: $3,451,267
Metro East Park and Recreation District grant: $300,000
St. Clair County match to the park district grant: $300,000
Belleville: $101,034
St. Clair Township: $126,293
Stookey Township: $25,259
Belleville and the two townships are paying for the improvements on North 66th Street based on the percentage of the street in their respective districts. This roadwork is included in the overall $4.3 million construction costs.
Belleville’s share was pulled from the funds the city received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress to help states and local governments deal with the economic impact of the COVID pandemic.
Hank’s Excavating & Landscaping Inc. of Belleville was awarded the construction contract by the transit district board.
In addition to the construction costs, the transit district also approved $359,985 in design costs for the trail, which brings the total project cost of design and construction to $4.65 million.
