In early October 2025, Joliet Junior College started a new landscaping project near the bridge on the Joliet Junior College Lake.
The installation is an extensive ramp walkway and includes a deck that sits over the river. Though still fenced off to the public, the ramp walkway is nearly complete, according to Patrick Van Duyne, senior director of facility services.
According to Van Duyne, the goal is to get “people outside and down by the lake.”
This ADA-accessible ramp walkway is designed to create a space that allows for outdoor leisure and can even help JJC’s lab science courses with easy access to the water.
As a former biology major, Van Duyne has a personal connection with the outdoors.
“I’m a biology guy, and getting out into nature is a huge thing for me,” Van Duyne said.
The school is currently waiting for the stainless-steel hand railings to arrive to complete the installation process, according Frank Kostelz, JJC’s lead groundskeeper.
Both Kostelz and Van Duyne emphasized the importance of protecting the natural environment surrounding the new installation.
According to Kostelz, the crew had to remove one tree due to its already damaged root system in fear of “it falling over in a high windstorm.”
Construction of the walkway is expected to be complete by the end of February 2026.
