Ginger Reilly/Special to the Tribune

Lemont plans to build two bike paths, estimated to cost more than a half million dollars, if grant requests are approved.

The bike paths would provide regional connections and increased safety, said James Brown, planning and economic development director for Lemont.

Trustee Jeanette Virgilio said the bike paths would connect Lemont to regional trails.

Trustees authorized, during a Village Board meeting on Monday, applying for Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant money for a bike path on Lemont Road and a bike path on 131st Street.

If approved, the ITEP grant for each path would cover 80 percent of the cost to build the path, while Lemont would pay 20 percent of the cost. Brown said if the grant requests were approved, Lemont’s portion of the cost of building the paths would probably come from general revenue.

The Lemont Road bike path would be a little more than a quarter of a mile.

The cost of the Lemont Road bike path would be an estimated $100,000 to $120,000, Village Administrator Benjamin Wehmeier said. Lemont is also considering adding a stop light with the bike path on the grant application, which could raise the cost to about $300,000.

The 131st Street bike path would run about two miles, roughly from Derby Road to Bell Road. The estimated cost of the bike path on 131st Street is close to half million dollars, Wehmeier said.

Also discussed at Monday’s meeting was a proposal for a Heritage Quarries Scuba Diving, which would provide scuba diving in a quarry. Some trustees, however, expressed concerns about allowing scuba diving at the location.