STERLING — The Sterling Park District recently completed another section of its multi-use trail that when finished, will extend from Hoover Park in Sterling to Dixon’s Sauk Valley Community College.

Park District Director Larry Schuldt said the latest section cost approximately $450,000 and extends the trail 0.76 miles from River Road to 43rd Avenue in Sterling. The park district has completed approximately 1.55 miles of its planned 2.75-mile multi-use trail. Schuldt said that so far, all the work has been paid for with private donations.

“Construction on this latest section started this summer and finished a few weeks ago,” Schuldt said. “To finish the trail, it’s going to cost about another $2 million and take several years. We’re trying to pay for it with donations and matching grant funds so we are limited as to how fast that process goes.”

Schuldt said to finish the trail, it will likely need to be completed in three more sections. The first section will span approximately 0.92 miles and connect from 43rd Avenue to Country Club Lane. The second section will extend one mile from Country Club Lane to Mound Hill Road, and the final 0.85 miles will connect Mound Hill Road to SVCC, 173 state Route 2.

The trail so far

Work on the multi-use trail began at Hoover Park and next to Woodlawn Arts Academy, 3807 Woodlawn Road, and stretches behind the academy to Parkview Road. This cost about $120,000, and also included widening an existing path off Woodlawn Road. Then in June 2023, the park district expanded the trail from Woodlawn Road to River Road for approximately $235,000.

“We’re like the tortoise,” Schuldt said. “Slow but deliberate.”

Park improvements

Schuldt said the park district also applied for the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant in August to improve Thomas Park. The grant provides financial assistance to local governments for the acquisition, development or rehabilitation of public land for recreational purposes. The state pays for 50% of a project’s total costs, with the local agency required to pay for the other half. If approved, Schuldt said, the park district would receive $600,000 for those improvements.

“We expect to hear something back in the next couple of weeks,” Schuldt said. “We’re redoing the pickle ball courts, a new playground, additional off street-parking, and I don’t mean a parking lot. There’d also be a fully accessible fishing platform constructed that would go right to the pond.”

Maps

The park district also offers several other multi-use trails. To view them, visit sterlingparks.org and click on the parks and trails tab for a recently updated map of all its trails, parks and facilities.

Hard copies are also available at Westwood Fitness & Sports Center, 1900 Westwood Drive off West LeFevre Road, and at the Duis Center, 211 E. 23rd St.