Viaduct Point ceremony to mark start of pathway expansion project

DIXON – The third phase of the Dixon riverfront development plan commences at noon Thursday with a groundbreaking at Viaduct Point along the Rock River.

“This groundbreaking is the culmination of years of work,” Matt Heckman, assistant city manager, said in a news release. “It’s an exciting day for our community and a day to pay tribute to those who have worked tirelessly over the years to bring this to fruition.”

Heckmen thanked members of the Riverfront Commission, volunteers, Fehr Graham Engineering and Environmental and the state and federal agencies that have contributed to the preliminary work of addressing brownfield conditions at the former Dixon Iron and Metal Company site at 78 Monroe Ave.

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[ Grants pursued to begin brownfield cleanup at Viaduct Point. ]

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Dixon has been awarded three Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grants worth $5.65 million to install a recreational path for hiking and biking along the riverfront that connects to existing pathways.

The reclamation of Viaduct Point has taken six years. Environmental assessments were started in 2017, which enabled an environmental specialist with Fehr Graham to rest the site for hazardous materials.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed contaminated soil starting in 2019 and sediments in 2021. That cleanup was completed without any cost to the city, although it was valued at $4 million.

Fehr Graham did the engineering, and Martin and Co. are the contractors that will install two miles of new pathways.

The city’s riverfront development is a four-phase project that started with Heritage Crossing on the south shore of the Rock River in 2009. The second phase involved installing a recreational path along River Street from Galena Avenue to Illinois Route 2, which was also completed in 2009.

When the city received its first $2 million Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant, it was able to start planning for the third phase path expansion.

The fourth phase of the riverfront development is underway after the city was awarded a $12 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.