The Bloomingdale Trail, a 2.7-mile trail that runs along Bloomingdale Avenue from Ridgeway Avenue to Ashland Avenue, will open on June 6 after nearly two years of construction, a city spokesperson announced Sunday.
The project broke ground in 2013 to turn an unused rail line into an elevated park and trail system on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The trail will connect the neighborhoods of Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park.
Renderings of the trail show a tree-lined running and biking path as well as seating and park space set above city streets.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office last year said the trail will be the centerpiece of The 606, a network of six ground-level parks connected to the trail, as well as an observatory, a wheel-friendly event plaza, educational programming, art installations, and other amenities. The term "606" uses the prefix of Chicago's zip code.
“The 606 is a transformative project that will turn an old railroad embankment into a recreational trail and park system on the northwest side, a major investment in green space that will benefit neighborhood residents and people throughout Chicago,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Through projects large and small, we are on track to make Chicago the first city to ensure that every child lives within a 10 minute walk to a park or playground.”
The project is more than a decade in the making, as it was officially called for in the City’s 2004 Logan Square Open Space Plan to add additional green space to one of the city’s most park-poor neighborhoods.
