The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Board of Commissioners approved several major projects at its meeting on Thursday, April 9, that will set the stage for 2026 improvements throughout the preserves.

The Messenger Woods Nature Preserve entrance road will be reconstructed. The DuPage River Trail will be extended. And a trail at Theodore Marsh will be paved. Also, intergovernmental agreements with Lockport and Channahon will lead to new trails.

“Board approval of these projects is an investment in connectivity and preserve access to enhance the user experience and ensure our preserves remain accessible, safe and welcoming to the public,” said Forest Preserve Executive Director Tracy Chapman.

Here are the items approved by the Board:

• Messenger Woods Roadway Improvements in Homer Glen: A $377,766 contract was awarded to Construction Solutions of Illinois Inc. for the work. The work includes the removal and reconstruction of the entrance drive from Bruce Road to the first parking lot, along with required restoration and mitigation. Work is scheduled to begin in early summer and be completed by the end of the year.
• DuPage River Trail Extension in Wheatland Township: A $599,683 contract was awarded to Gallagher Asphalt Corp. to extend the trail from 119th Street to 127th Street. The project includes replacing a section of Book Road with a 1-mile, 12-foot-wide paved trail, improving the existing trail crossing at 119th Street, and installing new bench pads and benches. Work is scheduled to begin in early summer and be completed by the end of the year.
• Theodore Marsh Trail Paving in Crest Hill: A $206,721 contract was awarded to Construction Solutions of Illinois to pave a crushed limestone loop path east of Gaylor Road in Theodore Marsh. The work includes minor reshaping of the existing path, tree pruning and protection, placement of embankments, drainage improvements, bench pads, signage and restoration. The work is expected to begin in May and be completed by the end of August.
• McKinley Woods Road Trail in Channahon: An intergovernmental agreement was approved to allow the Village of Channahon to install and maintain a multi-use path in McKinley Woods along the east side of McKinley Woods Road. This path will improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity in the area and enhance local nonmotorized travel options while providing safer access for residents.
• City of Lockport Trail: An intergovernmental agreement with the City of Lockport was approved to fund design and engineering services for the Lockport Loop Trail. Lockport recently acquired the 181-acre Chevron Property along the I&M Canal, which presents an opportunity to reevaluate a trail system in downtown Lockport . The loop will create a multi-use trail from Division Street north along the shipping canal within the Forest Preserve’s Lockport Loop Trail Preserve to the northern limits of the city-owned Chevron Property, then south and east through the Chevron Property and connecting to the I&M Canal Trail.

The three Forest Preserve projects and engineering for the Lockport Trail are being funded by the 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program, which provided $50 million for land acquisition, facility improvements and restoration.

“We are starting off strong in the second year of the program,” Chapman said. “Acquiring just over 777 acres in 2025, we continue to follow a well-worn path, with our recent addition to Messenger Woods putting us just over 24,000 acres.”