Bike path route: where it would run
The bike path would run between O'Connor Park and the Mill Race footbridge, past Midewin and Abraham Lincoln Cemetery, says the City Administrator's September 2026 status report [1]. The City calls the project the Elwood Area Bike Connector [1].
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is run by the USDA Forest Service and gives a Wilmington address [5]. Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery is in Elwood [6]. Resolution No. 2026-18 describes the project as bike and walking paths connecting the two towns "to each other and to various points of interest in the surrounding areas" [2]. More on the town itself is on the Wilmington, IL town page.
Bike path status: planned, not yet funded to build
Myth: the news means the bike path is approved and on its way.
Fact: the bike path to Elwood is planned, and its construction is not funded yet. Baxter & Woodman submitted the Elwood Area Bike Connector application to the state's ITEP grant program in September 2026 [1]. The City expects to learn in spring 2027 whether it is funded [1].
The first phase, design, includes approval by IDOT. The City's report of October 13, 2026 expects that approval in 2027 [1].
The City Council approved the City's part in the grant process at its September 15, 2026 meeting, the same report says [1][2].
Partnership history: a 2023 agreement
Myth: the bike path to Elwood is a new idea.
Fact: the City of Wilmington agreed in 2023 to partner with the Village of Elwood on this bike trail [1]. The September 2026 grant application came out of several months of phone calls, emails and special sessions between the two towns [1].
Bike path costs: who pays for each phase
Myth: Wilmington taxpayers pay for the whole bike path.
Fact: federal money pays for the first two phases in full, and the state grant, if awarded, would pay 80% of construction [1].
Phase | What it covers | Cost | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Design and IDOT approval | About $335,000 | 100% federal, through FLAP |
2 | Bidding documents | About $600,000 | 100% federal, through FLAP |
3 | Construction | Not stated in the report | ITEP sought: 80% federal, 20% local |
The phases and figures come from the City Administrator's report [1]. FLAP is the Federal Highway Administration's Federal Lands Access Program, for transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within federal lands [4].
The local share is real. Resolution No. 2026-18 commits the City to pay any required matching funds and any ineligible costs, as IDOT determines them [2]. How the 20% local match is split between Wilmington and Elwood will be decided later [1].
The same resolution says an ITEP grant funds 80% of eligible engineering, design and construction costs [2]. Land (right-of-way) and street lighting costs are funded at 50% [2].
ITEP grants: what the state program covers
ITEP is the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, run by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Its project types include pedestrian and bicycle facilities, on-road and off-road [3]. The 2026 round, Cycle 17, took applications from August 1 to October 5, 2026 [3].
Cycle 17 offered $157 million in ITEP funding, with at most $5 million per project [3]. The September 2026 application falls inside that window [1][3].
Under IDOT's rules, the sponsor is the local government that has taxing authority and backs the match. The sponsor also maintains the project once it is finished [3]. ITEP does not pay operation and maintenance costs [3].
What it means if you buy in Wilmington
If you are looking at homes in Wilmington, the bike path to Elwood is a plan with its design money in place, not a finished trail. Two dates come next: IDOT's approval of the design, expected in 2027, and the state's answer on the construction grant, expected in spring 2027 [1]. Updates like these appear in the City's council and committee agenda packets on wilmington-il.gov [1][2].
For what the City has already finished, see what the City finished at its island parks. If Wilmington is on your list, the two steps below are where to start.
