The Village of Mount Prospect announced on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 that in cooperation with the Mount Prospect Park District, the construction of the Melas-Meadows Pedestrian Bridge is anticipated to begin in August 2026. The bridge will provide safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists to parks, schools, and many other destinations.
The north access of the bridge will be located in Meadows Park, which is just south of the border with Arlington Heights at Gregory Street, and just east of the border with Arlington Heights at Waterman Avenue. The north side approach to the bridge will be about 600 feet southeast of Culver’s.
The south access of the bridge will be located in the northeast corner of Melas Park.
The 206’ long bridge deck will span both the Union Pacific railroad tracks and Northwest Highway (US 14). Work will include construction of piers, ramps and staircases at the northeast corner of Melas Park and the southwest corner of Meadows Park. Work will also include sidewalk, lighting, fencing and landscaping at the end of the project.
The Village applied for and received state and federal grant funds from multiple competitive programs totaling over $10.1 million, covering 88% of the cost of construction and construction engineering. The remaining $1.4 million will be locally funded.
Dunnet Bay Construction was awarded the contract by the Village of Mount Prospect. Dunnet Bay Construction Company is an established civil engineering and heavy highway general contractor headquartered in Glendale Heights, Illinois. Dunnet Bay Construction was founded in 1990, the company specializes in large-scale infrastructure projects including bridges, retaining walls, highways, and earth retention systems throughout the Chicagoland area and neighboring regions. Their work will be monitored, inspected and overseen by a Village of Mount Prospect-engaged construction engineering consultant, Ciorba Group. Ciorba Group is a civil engineering consulting firm providing transportation, structural, and water resources engineering. Ciorba Group was was founded in 1927 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and serves state, county, and local government agencies. Melas-Meadows Pedestrian Bridge Construction construction will begin in August 2026 and is expected to be completed in fall of 2027.
Pre-construction work by ComEd and Verizon will soon take place along Northwest Highway.
The contractor will stage operations along the parking lane on Northwest Highway and in Meadows Park when working on the north side of the tracks. The contractor will stage operations at the northeast corner of Melas Park when working on the south side of the tracks. Kenilworth Avenue will have parking restricted to one side of the street, similar to the 4th of July festival, to allow for delivery of materials and equipment. The contractor will not access the job site via Melas Park Drive and the path. The Melas Park path will remain open during construction except for the northeast section. Pedestrian detour signs will be in place during the closure.
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
facebook …
Please ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Page. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor
THANKS FOR READING CARDINAL NEWS
