Oregon Park District gets $3 million state grant for shared-use path

OREGON — The majority of a $3.5 million Oregon Park District shared-use path project will be paid for with a state grant.

The 1.88-mile Rock River Heritage Trail will provide access to the Lowden State Park and downtown Oregon via Illinois Route 64 for residents and visitors. It will run along the eastern shoreline of the river within the right-of-way of the unmarked state highway, River Road and within Lowden State Park, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“This trail has been a passion project for the Oregon Park District, city of Oregon and residents for over a decade,” OPD Executive Director Erin Folk said in an April 11 press release. “We couldn’t be happier to see this project coming together after such dedication from community leaders.”

OPD applied for the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant in September 2022, Folk said.

Gov. JB Pritzker announced the 2023 ITEP grant recipients on April 7. The Oregon Park District received a $3 million grant for the Rock River Heritage Trail.

The grant application required the project’s phase 1 engineering be complete, and the project development report be approved by IDOT.

The cost of phase 1 engineering was split between the park district, which contributed $73,000, and the city of Oregon and Ogle County, which each supplied $19,000.

The total estimated cost of Rock River Heritage Trail is $3,588,464, and includes phase 2 engineering, construction engineering and construction. OPD is responsible for 20% of that cost.

Phase 2 engineering and construction engineering are tentatively planned for completion between this June and January 2024, with construction scheduled for June 2024.

They expect to seek bids in late winter or early spring, with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in June 2024, Folk said.

“This trail has been a long time coming,” Folk said. “We are excited for this opportunity and look forward to providing recreational access between Lowden State Park and the city of Oregon.”

She credited the work and support of the OPD commissioners, Oregon city employees, Oregon Mayor Ken Williams, Ogle County Board members, IDOT and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for making the trail possible.