Illinois county gets $2 million grant for Route 66 Bike Trail

McLean County, Ill., has received $2 million in state funds to build a five-mile segment of the Route 66 Bike Trail from the north side of Normal to Towanda, according to the Bloomington Pantagraph.

The newspaper said:

County Engineer Eric Schmitt said a stretch from Towanda Avenue in north Normal to County Highway 29 in Towanda will cost 1.9 million, including engineering costs.  Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program funds will cover $1.5 million of the cost, and communities along the route will cover the remaining 20 percent of the cost based on population.

McLean County’s share will be about $95,000; Bloomington’s share is about $157,000; and Normal’s share is $116,000. McLean, Towanda, Lexington and Chenoa will contribute the remaining amount.

Schmitt said construction should take place in 2015.

More about the Route 66 Bike Trail in Illinois may be found here. The Adventure Cycling Association plans to publish a full map later this year for cyclists who want to travel Route 66.

And I can attest from my website traffic that interest in cycling Route 66 is significant — and growing.

(Image of a segment of the Route 66 Bike Trail near Lexington, Ill., by GoILTrails via Flickr)

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