A 42-mile greenway loop from Indy through Hamilton County big step closer
Construction of the Nickel Plate Trail in Noblesville is scheduled to begin in January, a crucial link that will connect greenways from Indianapolis through the northern suburbs in a continuous loop.
The city's Board of Public Works and Safety approved a $2 million contract for Calumet Civil Contractors, of Whitestown, to build the 2.7 mile Nickel Plate from 146th Street to Pleasant Street.
Paving of the 12-foot-wide asphalt trail will begin in January and end in October, said the city’s project manager Andrew Rodewald, of the engineering department. The city last year received a state Next Level Trails grant of $3.1 million for the project.
As part of the construction, workers must prepare two bridges that were train crossings when the corridor was used by the Nickel Plate Railroad. The bridges over Allisonville Road and Stony Creek are 500 yards apart and structurally sound, but railroad ties will be removed and the structures will be cleaned and painted, Rodewald said.
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Start of construction comes six years after Fishers and Noblesville announced plans for a 9-mile trail through the suburbs. While Fishers began design and construction shortly afterward, Noblesville awaited federal funding before moving forward.
The original plans was for a 4.5 mile Nickel Plate Trail in Noblesville, but only 2.6 miles will be built and, instead, end at Pleasant Street and link with the planned extension of the Midland Trace trail.
The Midland Trace now extends from the Monon Trail in Westfield — parallel to State Road 32 — east to Hague Road in Noblesville. As Noblesville rebuilds Pleasant Street (State Road 32) through downtown in a $113 million project, the Midland Trace will be built along with it — and eventually connect with the Nickel Plate near 10th Street. That link is expected in 2025.
At the same time, Indianapolis will construct the Nickel Plate from 96th Street in Fishers to the Indiana State Fairground at 42nd Street, where it will connect with the Monon Trail.
When everything is complete, a bicyclist or (very) long-distance runner will be able to use the interconnected Monon, Midland Trace and Nickel Plate trails for an uninterrupted 42-mile round trip.
Rodewald said officials are considering whether a bridge will be needed for the Nickel Plate over busy 146th Street. Two years ago, the city estimated the cost at $5 million.
Fishers has already completed the Nickel Plate from 146th Street south to 106th Street. It expects to finish the last leg of the trail, to 96th Street, including a bridge over 96th, by June 2024. The cost of the remaining paving and bridge is $6.4 million.
Indianapolis is scheduled to build the Nickel Plate between summer 2023 and spring 2024.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on Twitter and Facebook
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Nickel Plate Trail construction starting in January
