Several improvement projects for Will County forest preserves have been mapped out for this year after action taken by the Forest Preserve District Board.

The Messenger Woods Nature Preserve entrance road will be reconstructed. The DuPage River Trail will be extended and a trail at Theodore Marsh in Crest Hill will be paved, according to a news release from the forest preserve district.

The district said intergovernmental agreements with the city of Lockport and village of Channahon will lead to new trails.

“Board approval of these projects is an investment in connectivity and preserves 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 in a news release.

These projects were approved by the board on April 9:

• 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 from Bruce Road to the first parking lot, along with required restoration and mitigation. Work is scheduled to begin in early summer and expected to be finished by the end of the year, the district said.

• 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, the district said. Work is scheduled to begin this 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 reshaping of the existing path, tree pruning and protection, placement of embankments, drainage improvements, bench pads, signage and restoration, the district said. The work is scheduled 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. The path would bring bicycle and pedestrian connectivity in the area while providing safer access for residents, the district said.

• Lockport Trail: An intergovernmental agreement with the City of Lockport was approved to fund design and engineering services for the Lockport Loop Trail.

The loop will create a multi-use trail from Division Street north along the shipping canal within the forest preserve district’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 district said.

The three forest preserve district 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.