A pedestrian bridge that would connect Lake Forest and Lake Bluff across the Canadian National Railroad tracks on Green Bay Road moved closer to reality last month after Lake Bluff's Village Board approved a state grant agreement on Wednesday, May 27.
The $5.1 million bridge, planned for the west side of Green Bay Road at the villages' shared border, is designed to make it easier to walk between the two communities — particularly for residents heading to Lake Bluff's downtown commercial corridor east of the tracks. Prior grant awards total $4.25 million, including a $1.25 million state allocation and a $3 million Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant. Phase 1 engineering is already complete.
Construction is planned for 2028 through 2030.
The bridge is separate from the ongoing Green Bay Road reconstruction project, which began in late April and has already pushed detour traffic onto surrounding streets. That two-year effort covers full roadway rebuilding from Route 176 south to West Witchwood Lane and is not expected to wrap up until August 2027.
In the meantime, Lake Bluff's downtown is open for business. The village's farmers market opened its 33rd season Friday, June 5 at the Village Green on East Scranton Avenue, running Fridays through October 9 from 7 a.m. to noon — on the same block where a $930,000 streetscape project widened sidewalks and added string lighting this spring.
