Yorkville Mayor John Purcell wants his city, the village of Oswego and Kendall County to work out an agreement to maintain a bicycle path that is expected to be constructed as part of the much-anticipated widening of Route 71.

Purcell attended the March 15 Kendall County Board meeting, telling board members that Yorkville is already willing to maintain the portion of the project that is included within the city’s jurisdiction. No dollar amounts were discussed.

“We’re fully committed to maintaining anything within the Yorkville city limits,” Purcell said later.

County Board members seemed to react favorably to Purcell’s remarks but no commitments were made.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is planning to install the bike trail along Route 71 from Route 126 in Yorkville to Orchard Road in Oswego, effectively creating a connection between the downtown areas of the two municipalities.

Local officials said the bike trail would be similar in design to the trail that runs along Route 34 in Yorkville.

Last spring, the county board approved a local contribution of $76,000 for construction of the multi-use trail on Route 71.

Kendall County Forest Preserve District Director Dave Guritz said that while IDOT will build the bike trail, the state agency wants local government to commit to its maintenance.

About 4.5 miles of the bike trail connection would be located in unincorporated areas of Kendall County between Yorkville and Oswego, Guritz said.

Purcell said there is resistance in the county government to funding maintenance of the unincorporated portion of the trail.

However, the mayor said that with transportation sales tax revenues it receives, the county could easily establish a maintenance fund for the occasional resurfacing that the pavement would require.

“If they (the county) choose to fund it, it can get funded,” Purcell said.

The mayor said that the city of Yorkville is offering to take the lead on any maintenance project, saving the county the supervisory work.

“We can bid it out,” Purcell said. “We’ll manage it.”

Purcell said officials should keep their eyes focused on the opportunity being presented by the state.

“A bike trail connecting Yorkville and Oswego would be fantastic for both communities,” Purcell said.

Installing trails along Route 71 as part of widening the highway has been in discussion for years. IDOT approached the county in 2020 about committing local funds for the project.