A first step for Bradley to dramatically alter the look, feel and use of its main thoroughfare is about to unfold.

At a cost of $3.51 million, the Bradley Village Board approved a contract for a dramatic streetscape upgrade to the approximate 1-mile stretch of Bradley Boulevard between Armour Road and East North Street.

At Monday’s meeting, the six-member board unanimously approved a $3,511,932 contract with Kankakee Valley Construction Co. to revamp the pedestrian portion to the east and west of the five-lane highway.

The most dramatic change will be the creation of an 8-foot-wide paved walking/biking path on each side of the road.

Of the total project cost, $3 million is being picked up through the previously secured Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Main Street grant.

The only other bidder was Ruben E. Smith/R&R Construction Inc., of Bradley. The R&R bid of $4,463,305 was 27% higher than KVCC’s bid.

Work is expected to begin by mid-July and the goal is completion at year’s end.

The project is expected to be completed this year as a requirement of the grant.

“This is step one of a multiple-stage project from the ball field (Bradley’s 315 Sports Park) to the Bradley-Kankakee line,” Mayor Mike Watson said. “This will show people what this can be.”

Watson said without the aid of the grant, such an upgrade would not be possible.

The walking path will mirror the path, which was put in place about three years ago along the CSL Behring plant along Bradley Boulevard. The CSL path, which is on the street’s west side, will be extended to North Street.

The extension means the path will need to run along the frontage of the Yolks & Berries restaurant as well as in the front of the shopping center anchored by Turk Furniture, Dollar Tree, Harbor Freight and the Illinois Secretary of State office.

The east side of the road includes a large number of retail, gas stations and the Quality Inn & Suites.

In addition to the walking/biking path, the project includes landscaping, pedestrian lighting and street lighting

When the entire streetscape project is completed, it will be about 5 miles from its northern point where St. George Road intersects with Bradley Boulevard and where Liberty Street meets with Kankakee’s northern border at Solider Creek.

Rob Romo, Bradley finance director, said the entire project will take about five years and an estimated $10-million to $12-million. The village continues to seek grants to aid construction.