Blackwell - Cenacle Bridge Replacement
Project Overview
This project will replace the existing 100-plus-year-old Cenacle Bridge spanning the West Branch of the DuPage River at Blackwell Forest Preserve.
Former property owners built the bridge to access a retreat house on the east side of the river. After acquiring the property, the Forest Preserve District reinforced the bridge’s stringers and floor beams in 2009 to achieve a 25-ton load rating but did not replace the decking, stringers, railings, or abutments.
Today, the abutments, wing walls, wooden stringers, decking, and railings are deteriorating beyond routine maintenance. If the bridge remains in place, substantial repairs will be required.
The bridge is used by hikers and bicyclists, though trail users can also reach the southwest corner of the preserve via a trail connection off Butterfield Road. Access to this area improved after upgrades to the controlled crosswalks at Batavia and Butterfield roads and the addition of a pedestrian lane on the Butterfield Road bridge over the West Branch of the DuPage River.
Forest Preserve District maintenance vehicles occasionally use the bridge, but most access the east side of the river via the Urban Stream Research Center.
Oct
2025
Status: In Design
In October 2025, the Forest Preserve District entered into a $479,010 contract with Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd. for Phase 1 and Phase 2 engineering design of the Cenacle Bridge replacement project.
Design is currently underway, with construction tentatively anticipated to begin in 2027.
Funding
To date, the District has been awarded $1.36 million in federal transportation funding and $250,000 in Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity funding to supplement the estimated $2.2 million dollar construction project.
