Dixon Park District wins grant for trail improvements

DIXON – The Dixon Park District won a $185,600 state grant to make upgrades to the Lowell Parkway Trail and the Meadows.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant is part of the federal Recreational Trails Program supported by funds from the Federal Highway Administration.

The Meadows will be getting several improvements including an observation deck with a telescopic viewer along the Rock River, Wi-Fi, blue light emergency phone stations, lighting at trailhead parking lots and signage marking trails, according to a district news release.

There will also be education platforms, bike repair stations at trailheads, and work on some of the more eroded parts of the trails.

Work is expected to begin in May.

The Park District has budgeted $50,000 as the required local match for the grant, and work is expected to be completed by April 2024.