Klingner & Associates, Park District to receive state award for Bill Klingner Trail extensions

QUINCY — Klingner & Associates, P.C., and the Quincy Park District will receive a 2022 American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois Excellence Honor Award for the extension of the Bill Klingner Trail in Quincy. Klingner’s design was one of only 10 projects granted an Honor Award – one of the highest project awards issued. 

Two segments of the Bill Klingner Trail are featured for this award: 18^th Street to 24^th Street and Fifth Street to Parker Heights Park. These extensions, completed in 2020, create a safe, accessible 2.44-mile pedestrian corridor between the heart of the city and the riverfront.

Expanding the trail in both directions created additional access points for residents and opened new opportunities to improve community health in Adams County – ranked the eighth most obese county in Illinois, according to 2017 public health data. Design required careful planning to preserve greenspace, minimize grading, complete the project efficiently and address flooding concerns.

Public interest in the trail has skyrocketed since the completion of the extensions. According to the Quincy Park District’s Ecocounter, the trail has seen an average of 300 trail users per day since March 2021 with more than 80,000 trips thru November 2021.

“The Bill Klingner Trail is an asset to the entire community, and the use of the trail has exceeded our expectations,” said Rome Frericks, executive director for the Quincy Park District. “This award represents years of design, planning and fundraising from the entire community.”

The conceptual trail was initially presented by engineer William H. Klingner in 1946 as a loop connecting the community to the Mississippi River. Nearly 50 years later, the Quincy Park District and the City of Quincy began working with the Klingner firm to realize his dream. Four segments of the trail have been completed, with plans for an additional three in the fundraising stage.

“The bike and walking trail through the creek valleys on the outskirts of Quincy was a vision well before its time,” said firm president Mike Klingner, son of William H. Klingner. “As sections are constructed, the trail has attracted outstanding community support to see its completion.”

The Excellence Awards will recognize 33 projects of engineering achievement by Illinois engineering firms. Entries were judged on the basis of engineering excellence, the degree to which client needs were met, and the benefits to the public’s welfare and the private practice of engineering. Projects were considered in 12 categories covering a wide range of consulting services for honor, special achievement and merit awards. The award will be presented at the 2022 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on Feb. 17 in Rosemont.

To donate to future segments of the Bill Klingner Trail, call Friends of the Trails at 217-223-7703 or visit friendsofthetrails.org. For more information about Klingner & Associates or to schedule a consultation, please contact 217-223-3670.