Cyclists and walkers who use the Fox River Trail on Geneva’s west side will need a new route starting next Monday, September 14, when the city shuts down a stretch of the path near the Kane County Government Center on Route 31. The closure kicks off a two-month, $12.9 million construction project to bury two new 20-inch sanitary sewer lines beneath the river.
According to the City of Geneva, the new pipes are designed to replace a single 20-inch sewer line that currently serves the west side of the city, a move meant to prevent overflows. The CBS News Chicago reports the work is part of a broader push to add new segments and detours along the trail for the cyclists and pedestrians who rely on it daily.
The detour is a temporary inconvenience layered onto a trail system that has seen steady, if piecemeal, upgrades in recent months. Just two months ago in Batavia, the city dedicated its Peace Ramp, a more than $3.3 million ADA-compliant bicycle and pedestrian ramp connecting the lower Fox River Trail to street level near the Peace Bridge at North River and State streets, according to the city’s ward blog. That project, funded primarily through local Tax Increment Financing, replaced a stair-only access point that had long been a barrier for anyone using a wheelchair, stroller, or bike.
Federal Money Eyes the Trail’s Remaining Gaps
Geneva’s sewer detour isn’t the only sign of investment along the corridor. In May, U.S. Representative Bill Foster selected a new segment of the Fox River Regional Trail in Batavia for his Fiscal Year 2027 federal Community Project Funding requests, aiming to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and connectivity, per his office. The request is part of a larger congressional package addressing community infrastructure needs across the district…