Drills in the Ground: Bronzeville Trail Takes Its Biggest Step Yet as Soil Testing Gets Underway

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Bronzeville · June 24, 2026

Bronzeville's most ambitious green infrastructure dream just got very real. This Monday, June 22, a team of environmental scientists, geologists, and engineers arrived along a stretch of the long-dormant Kenwood L Line rail embankment and began drilling into the earth — the first tangible, physical step toward transforming the two-mile abandoned rail corridor into the South Side's first elevated bike and walking trail.

The soil borings, starting near 45th and State Street, will test for contaminants left behind by the industries and railroads that once defined this stretch of the city. It's painstaking, technical work — but for the Bronzeville Trail Task Force, it signals that years of planning, community input, and fundraising are finally turning into action. The project has drawn support from major philanthropic partners, including a $900,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation, with those funds helping cover the cost of the environmental consultants now on site. When complete, the trail is envisioned to connect Armor Square and Bridgeport all the way to the lakefront — car-free, community-centered, and alive with the history of the Great Migration corridor it will trace.

State Rep. Kimberly du Buclet was on hand for Monday's milestone, calling the soil borings "something much bigger" than technical work alone. Organizers say portions of the trail could open before the full projected completion. Follow the Bronzeville Trail Task Force for updates and get involved — this trail is being built for and by the neighborhood.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/22/work-begins-on-bronzeville-trail-the-south-sides-1st-elevated-bike-path/
2. https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-transportation-scientists-begin-soil-testing-planned-bronzeville-trail-linking-armor-square-bridgeport-lakefront/19356642/