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The I&M Canal and Centennial Trail Connection was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 7. The new trail connection links the 3.26-mile Centennial Trail with the 11-mile I&M Canal Trail.
"This is a fantastic example of a public-private partnership that has helped us to enhance our community’s trail system," said Romeoville Mayor John Noak in a Village of Romeoville Facebook post. "I can’t thank our project partners enough for their cooperation."
According to the village's Facebook post, a grant from CITGO facilitated the creation of this trail connection. It runs along and under the 135th Street bridge on the east side of the canal, linking 14.5 miles of continuous scenic pathway and enabling travel from Lemont to Joliet. The project, located in Romeoville, utilized CITGO grant funds cooperatively with contributions from the Village of Romeoville, the City of Lockport, and the Forest Preserve District of Will County. This development included new walkways and curbs, street graphics, a parking area, benches, a bike repair station, directional signage, new landscaping, and a mural under the bridge. Funds were also allocated for maintenance.
The Facebook post further mentioned plans for future expansion that would connect a branch of the path to the Romeoville Metra station.
Lockport Mayor Steven Streit commented on the project as another significant incremental update to the region's bike path system that enhances connectivity between cities and heritage sites. Forest Preserve Board President Annette Parker emphasized that linking residents to open spaces and other civic areas has been a primary goal for her organization.
"We have a strong safety culture within CITGO and we wanted to help extend that same focus to our community," said Jim Cristman, Vice President and General Manager of the CITGO Lemont Refinery. "We are excited to contribute to the new I&M Canal Trail along with our community partners and provide a safer connection between the Lockport and Romeoville communities."
