While the Old Plank Road Trail may be covered in snow now, underneath the white stuff is a 7-mile stretch of newly repaved black asphalt.

A $1.3 million resurfacing project launched in August was completed right before Mother Nature wrapped the path in a white blanket. The new pavement stretches from Schoolhouse Road in New Lenox west to Washington Street in Joliet.

In addition to the new pavement, the project included Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at 18 street crossings, dead tree removal, and repairs for root damage and water pooling. The connection from OPRT to the Hickory Creek Bikeway at Hickory Creek Junction also was resurfaced.

The ADA improvements include early-warning devices and rumble strips to notify path users of upcoming crosswalks, said Jason Buss, the Forest Preserve’s director of operations.

“This really helps with accommodating all of our users,” Buss said. “And it shows the Forest Preserve really wants to have trails for everybody to use.”

Tree root barriers also were installed in some areas.

“We’re trying to mitigate future issues with the trail, future damages caused by the environment,” Buss said.

Massive trail system

This project underscores the Forest Preserve’s commitment to maintaining this popular path and the extended regional trail system Will County residents have come to cherish.

Trails, buildings and preserves all require long-term maintenance, which is why the Forest Preserve launched its Infrastructure Maintenance and Replacement Program in 2013 to guide upkeep of more than 700,000 square yards of asphalt roads, parking lots and paths.

And the 28-year-old OPRT is an important part of that program due to its location in a populated area and its connection to municipal parks and local trails.

“It’s not just a straight 22-mile shot, it connects to trails and trails on top of that,” Buss said. “So, it’s a massive trail system.”

The path is a popular recreational outlet.

“Bicyclists are on it, people walking are on it, strollers are on it and there are multiple access points where you can gain access to the trail,” Buss said.

OPRT, the first rail-to-trail conversion in Will County, stretches 22 miles from Joliet to Chicago Heights in Cook County. Fourteen of those miles are in Will County. Of the 14 miles, the Forest Preserve owns 11.5 and the Village of Frankfort owns 2.5.

This summer’s repaving project is just the latest improvement for the path.

• In spring 2017, a new modern bow truss bridge over Interstate 80 in New Lenox was installed by the Illinois Department of Transportation as part of future improvements to the I-80/Route 30 interchange.
• In fall 2022, the eastern 7 miles of OPRT in Will County were repaved from Harlem Avenue to Schoolhouse Road. The Forest Preserve worked with Frankfort to include the village's portion of the path.

And the OPRT will continue to evolve in the decades to come, Buss said. 

“We’re trying to get this up to a standard that we strive for,” Buss said. “And, honestly, I think we’re doing it. I think we are doing a great job assessing this trail and having the Capital Improvement Program funding to do it. And the trail is beautiful.”