NCTV17: New Eagle Street Gateway improves Naperville Riverwalk accessibility
The Eagle Street Gateway project, which broke ground in March of this year in Naperville, is finished and open to the public.
A key goal of the project was to improve accessibility between the upper and lower paths along the Riverwalk.
“We did add an improvement a number of years ago down near Main Street that let people do that, but it was just the one access. So now they’ll be able to come in down Main Street and travel along the river and be able to come back up the gateway without having to come back the way they came,” said Andy Hynes, deputy director of the City of Naperville’s Transportation, Engineering, and Development Department. Hynes also serves on the Riverwalk Commission.
The team sought to keep some of the Riverwalk’s historic features in the new layout.
“This area was originally built back in the 80s, and this is kind of an update to that. I think some of the landscaping choices and the design elements kind of highlight the river and the Riverwalk through some of the curved features,” Hynes said.
“We tried to reuse some of the old elements of the gateway. We reused a number of the brick pavers that were here as well as incorporated some of the limestone that was found during the excavation and incorporated that into the design of the project,” he continued.
Supported by the Riverwalk 2031 Fund, the project was mostly funded by the city, with the help of a $900,000 federal grant secured by Congressman Bill Foster.
The gateway is one of several improvements laid out in the Riverwalk 2031 Master Plan, which will mark 50 years of the Riverwalk.
Other projects include a new park on South Washington Street near North Central College with a ramp to the river, and an extension from Hillside Road to Endeavor Health Edward Hospital on Martin Avenue. Both projects are set to begin next year.
The Eagle Street Gateway was originally planned to be completed by Labor Day weekend, but extra time was added due to some unexpected finds.
“There are always some challenges. So there were some areas that had to be redesigned, most that you don’t even see because it’s all underground, but some of the structural supports had to be adjusted to account for where utilities actually were underground,” said Katie Rubush, a senior civil engineer who led the project.
With the gateway now complete, the community has quickly put it to use.
“I’ve already seen users out here, using the seatwalls, using the benches, and just enjoying the new gathering place that we’ve created here,” said Rubush.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for Friday, Nov. 14.