Northwest Indiana's trail system is getting a boost.
As part of the third round of Next Level Trails grants, Porter County is getting $4.9 million for a 6.5 stretch of the Marquette Greenway Trail. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says it would replace the gravel Calumet Trail with a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail between State Road 49 and Lake Shore County Road. The Marquette Greenway would eventually connect Chicago to New Buffalo.
Meanwhile, the C&O Trail would be connected to the rest of the region's trail network, thanks to more than $1.4 million awarded to Merrillville and $804,160 dollars to the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department. That would extend the trail 2.8 miles west from where it currently ends at Taft Street, connecting it to the existing Oak Savannah Trail, which in turn, connects to the Erie Lackawanna Trail.
Meanwhile, LaPorte County got $826,000 to extend the Lincoln Trail one mile north from West County Road 300 South near Westville. It's part of a long-term goal to connect the trail with the Marquette Greenway in Michigan City.
The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) helps local entities apply for the funding. Mitch Barloga, NIRPC's active transportation manager, said in a statement Thursday, “These awards represent another huge win for Northwest Indiana and our burgeoning trail network. We are rapidly approaching 200 miles of off-road trail in our Region, further enhancing the quality of life of our residents. We are grateful to Governor Holcomb and the DNR for recognizing our region once again.”
The Next Level Trails program requires a local match of at least 20 percent, which could include land or in-kind contributions. The latest grant cycle provided a total of $65 million for 77 miles of new trails.
