Bridge to Hurds Island Brings Trail Gap This Close to Completion

On a postcard-perfect fall afternoon last week, a long-dreamed vision became reality on the Fox River.

With a crystal blue sky as the backdrop, and fall colors setting the shorelines ablaze in bonfire hue, a bridge between yesterday and tomorrow was set in place.

Like the namesake project itself, the Trail Gap, this bridge was put together piece by piece.

The new bike/pedestrian bridge is a landmark extension to the Fox River Trail, bringing the project thisclose to filling the missing link that will make this an uninterrupted, 75-mile sanctuary for runners and cyclists from Oswego to the Wisconsin border.

The new bridge spans the west channel of the Fox River, connecting with Hurds Island, where a paved trail will take trail users along the west edge of the island to North Avenue. Only a few city blocks remain without trail passage from North Avenue to where the trail reconvenes at Downer Place behind Waubonsee Community College.

Completion of the bridge crossing is expected within the next year. It symbolizes the signature bond between local communities and the Fox Valley Park District, which acquired additional land on the west side of the river and spearheaded the project, reflecting the will and wants of its residents.

“The impact of seeing this bridge in place, and seeing a trail extending in both directions from that bridge, is far greater than what could ever be realized when looking at the plans,” said Jeff Palmquist, director of planning, development and grants.

The Trail Gap is just one of many initiatives taken on by the FVPD to further enhance public access along the Fox River while preserving these valuable areas for generations to come.

In 2010, the Park District extended the Fox River Trail one-half mile northward from Rathbone Avenue to where the new bridge was erected behind the city of Aurora’s animal control facility on South River Street.

The Park District then removed the maintenance sheds from its former home at 712 S. River Street, after consolidating its operations and moving its headquarters to the Cole Center earlier this year. The makeover converted four acres of developed land into riverside green space.

The Fox River and Gilman trails intersect at that site. An expanded trailhead is currently being developed, one that will create a walking/running/cycling transportation hub from where users can travel east, west, north or south – just like they did a century ago from that spot via train, trolley and boat.

The bridge project – part of the 2008 Open Space, Park and Recreation Investment (OSPRI) plan that reinvests referendum funds into community park projects – also is being partially funded through federal transportation enhancement grants and is a cooperative effort between the City of Aurora and the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. 

And, more than just a bridge, the stately structure has built-in decks that serve as overlooks where travelers can stop and take in the awesome views it affords.

“This bridge isn’t just a connection between trails,” said Palmquist. “It creates a picture, a new perspective. We are transforming this land to an active-use area that will be a community amenity.”

All of that while protecting and preserving one of our greatest assets—the Fox River—for all to enjoy in perpetuity.

Check out Hurds Island on a map here.

Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net