January 15, 2025
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Peru plans for shared-use path connecting areas of the city, including pedestrian bridge over Route 251

City officials estimate 5 miles of added walking path

By Olivia Doak

The city of Peru announced plans for a shared use path that will allow pedestrians to walk and bike around the city safely and with ease. The path will add roughly five miles of walking and biking path, including a pedestrian bridge over Route 251, similar to the bridge across Interstate 80 in Ottawa (shown here). (Annette Barr)

The city of Peru announced plans for a shared-use path that will allow pedestrians to walk and bike around the city safely and with ease.

The path will add roughly five miles of walking and biking path, including a pedestrian bridge over Route 251.

The new path will connect Veterans Park, the mall area, Diamond Senior Apartments on Wenzel Road, Pohar’s Crossing Subdivision, Baker Lake, all residential areas on the west and east halves of city, Liberty Village, Peru schools, the library, multiple other city parks and the hospital.

“We’ve been working on projects that provide quality of life incentive to the community as well as connectivity to critical functions in the community, such as our parks, hospitals, stores and schools,” said City Engineer Eric Carls.

Faith Church in Peru will remain opened during the Wenzel Road construction project.

Peru's new shared use path will connect Wenzel Road to parks and sites around the city. Above is a photo before the Wenzel Road construction project taken on March 21, 2022. (Photo provided)

To fund the project, the city will apply for a grant through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. Applications for the grant are due Sept. 30 and the award announcement will happen in spring 2023. If the city is approved for the grant, Carls predicts construction will begin in 2024.

The city plans to apply for the maximum grant funding of $3 million. The current estimated cost for the project is $3.7 million.

The most costly part of the project is the pedestrian bridge over Route 251. The bridge will be built just north of Hy-Vee on the west side and north of Liberty Village on the east side. It will include handrails and a fence for safety and to prevent people from throwing objects from it. The bridge in Ottawa over Interstate 80 is similar to the one Peru proposes, except city officials also plan to add path lights to it.

“It will provide a lot of great connectivity for the community to walk, ride their bikes and be able to traverse safely throughout the community,” Carls said.

The proposed shared use path will be the first accessible route to Baker Lake. Right now, there’s no sidewalk or way to walk to it safely. Carls said this project plays into planning for the long-term growth of the city and believes the city’s ITEP grant application is strong.

The city welcomes any letters of support for the project from residents to aid in the grant application process. Letters can be sent or dropped off at Peru City Hall, 1901 Fourth St.