The Morris City Council approved a measure Monday night to accept $2.583 million in funding through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program to improve and lengthen a pedestrian path along Benton Street.

The path will connect Calhoun Street to West Avenue via a walking path.

The project replaces an existing narrow gravel path and extends new path segments to the east and west, providing connections for non-motorized travel, according to a news release. An existing path bridge carrying a narrow gravel path over the Nettle Creek East Fork will be replaced by a wider, ADA compliant prefabricated path bridge for two-way travel.

According to a May 2025 news release, this project is a key component of the city’s master plan, and also sets the stage for future developments that could also connect to the I&M Canal regional trail.

Morris’s Pedestrian Pathway Project is one of 66 projects receiving funding statewide, with a total of $139.2 million warded through IDIT.