Indianapolis is set to receive $5 million through the Next Level Trail grant program to help construct a trail along the Nickel Plate rail corridor between 42nd and 96th streets, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday.
With funding now secured, Department of Public Works officials estimate that construction on the trail could begin as early as 2023 and could be completed by the end of 2024. The total project cost is estimated at more than $12 million.
DPW planners and engineers applied to Next Level Trail program in each of the previous two grant cycles for the necessary funding to complete the trail.
The city said several neighborhood groups and civic institutions participated in or lent their support to the Indianapolis bid, including the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Binford Redevelopment and Growth, the Friends of the Nickel Plate Trail and the Greater Allisonville Road Community Council
“Our community’s trail network has become a haven of stress-relief, physical fitness and recreation for residents–as well as a reliable option for countless commuters,” Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said in written remarks. “With this announcement, we can celebrate long-awaited and exciting news for residents in the city’s northeast neighborhoods and trail users around the city and the region.”
DPW will manage the construction of 10.3 miles of the trail in Indianapolis, bringing multimodal connectivity from near the Indiana State Fairgrounds at 42nd Street to the northern county line. The new infrastructure will connect to the existing Monon Trail by a link along 42nd Street. The project also includes a 0.5-mile trail spur that will connect to Sahm Park and a second trail spur off of 62nd Street connecting to Eastwood Middle School.
Fishers received $4.5 million and Noblesville acquired $3.1 million in funding through the Next Level Trails program to build portions of the Nickel Plate Trail north of 96th Street.
Fishers’ project includes a pedestrian bridge along the trail alignment over 96th Street. Once completed, the trail through Indianapolis, Fishers and Noblesville will complete a nearly 17-mile Nickel Plate Trail corridor.
More information on Next Level Trails grant program can be found here.
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An accompanying map showing the trails/connections would have been helpful.
Very exciting! Can’t wait to ride bikes on it. The bridge over 96th St. is a bonus. Took years to get a bridge installed on the Monon Trail at 38th St. near the fair grounds.
$12 million to complete 10.3 miles of trail. Fishers has stated it costs over $1 million per mile to do the asphalt. Anything beyond a basic road crossing seem to add to that cost. Can Indianapolis really do 10.3 miles for $12 million? If so, then Fishers is overpaying. Of course, doing a pedestrian bridge over 96th isn’t going to be cheap either. While this trail will be really nice when it is completed, the price tag on it is going to be exponentially higher than the original numbers presented to the public.
The tunnel under 116th Street in Fishers really ate up a lot of the budget on their segment.
I’m curious how the crossing of Keystone Avenue will be addressed. Any word on that?