SCCTD Approves Contract for Construction of Tecklenburg Trail Connector
The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) Board approved a $4.3 million contract with Hank’s Excavating for construction of the Tecklenburg Trail Connector in Belleville. This proposed 1.1-mile bike and pedestrian pathway will extend from Main Street and 66th Street to Dutch Hollow and Llewellyn roads, connecting residents in the West Belleville area to 16 continuous miles of trails in Southwestern Illinois known as the MetroBikeLink System. This trail connector will be completed in collaboration with the City of Belleville, Stookey Township Highway Department and St. Clair Township Road Department, which includes the on-road trail on 66th Street providing access to Tecklenberg Forest.
The trail will be a scenic addition to the trail system, as it is planned to transverse through wooded/remote areas. The trail will feature a 1,000-foot long bridge over IL Route 161 and Schoenberger Creek. Construction set to be completed in late 2024. The City of Belleville, Stookey Township Highway Department and St. Clair Township Road Department will underwrite the upgrades to 66th Street as part of the project.
“St. Clair County Transit District is actively working to continue to expand the reach of its MetroBikeLink System,” said Herb Simmons, Chair of St. Clair County Transit District’s Board of Trustees. “This new trail will play a key role in connecting the West Belleville area to a community amenity designed to enable users to integrate biking, walking, running, skating, and wheeling with public transportation – not only for enjoyment – but to help get residents where they want to go.”
The first section of the MetroBikeLink System opened in 2002 and was comprised of a four-mile trail, extending from Southwestern Illinois College to the Swansea MetroLink Station. Since then, the system has expanded to include the Memorial, Fairview Heights, and Shiloh Scott sections for a total of 16 miles of trail adjacent to the MetroLink light rail tracks. Additional trails have been built by SCCTD to connect to this main artery including SCCTD Orchard Loop Trail Phases I and II, the Englemann Park Connector, and the Old Collinsville Road Trail (currently under construction) for another 8 miles of SCCTD connected trails. This, along with the connecting trails from other municipalities, combine to provide a total of 30 miles of connected trails in St. Clair County.