Work on Nickel Plate Trail in Indy nears start, bridge funds still sought
The old railroad tracks have been removed for a few years, leaving a narrow, bushy path to nowhere on the northeast side parallel to Binford Boulevard.
But construction on the Indianapolis leg of the Nickel Plate Trail is set to begin as early as this winter, with paving from 42nd to 96th streets, providing a much-needed safe recreational path in one of the most car-centric high-speed corridors of the city.
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works will seek construction bids this fall for surfacing 9.6 miles of the greenway, said Corey Ohlenkamp, a spokesman for DPW.
The trail will connect to the Fishers Nickel Plate at 96th Street near Hague Road, where bikers and trail users will use a pedestrian bridge to cross 96th Street. To the south, it will connect to the Monon Trail next to the Indiana State Fair Grounds at 42nd Street. A half-mile path will be paved along 42nd Street west to the Monon.
For much of its path, the trail runs between Binford Boulevard and Allisonville Road, two high-traffic pedestrian-unfriendly roads, so residents seeking nearby outdoor activity are eager for the chance to get a path free of cars, said Kevin Senninger, president of the Binford Redevelopment and Growth, a neighborhood group.
"Several residents mention how excited they are about jumping on a trail and being able to go straight to the Monon or up to 82nd Street for the businesses," he said. "This is a good missing link. An off-street trail in the area is a nice amenity."
Businesses near the future trail anticipate that increased foot traffic will help them draw new customers, just as businesses alongside the Monon Trail and the Nickel Plate in Fishers have, Senninger said.
“We’ve had conversations about how once the trail is built they can connect to it physically or otherwise,” Senninger said.
The trail will run at an angle through business districts, such as 71st and 62nd streets, so it won’t always be flush with the stores and short connections will often be needed. At 62nd Street, a spur will be built to the signalized intersection on Allisonville, so users can cross there rather than at the natural un-signaled crossing a few blocks south.
Binford Redevelopment and Growth has helped keep the trail path as clear as possible with three clean-ups and has raised $6,000 to go toward improvements. Though support among residents is generally high, Senninger said some residents are concerned because the track bed is raised, offering users a high vantage view of backyards and intruding on privacy.
Indianapolis will need to build a bridge over 82nd Street and has applied for an Indiana Next Level Trails grant for the funds. The state will announce winners of the grants in December, so paving will likely be finished before the overpass, Ohlenkamp said.
At 49th Street, a pedestrian bridge will be built across Keystone Avenue, for which the city will seek federal dollars.
The 96th Street bridge also needs to be built but the Fishers DPW this week is set to approve a $466,131 agreement with Butler, Fairman & Seufert to design it. The cost will be about $6 million, 75% from a Next Levels grant.
The portion of the trail from Knue Road north of I-465 is not part of the Indianapolis plan because the Indiana Department of Transportation will finish that portion as part of its reconstruction work at the I-69 interchange.
The Fishers leg of the Nickel Plate runs almost 5 miles to 146th Street. The paving of the final section, 106th Street to 96th Street, is finishing up. Noblesville is paving a 2.6-mile piece of the trail from 146th Street to Pleasant Street.
Ohlenkamp said the Indianapolis trail could open in the summer of 2025 if the bridge grant is approved.
The path was once used by the old Nickel Plate Railroad and later, the Indiana State Fair Train which ran a couple weeks a year during the fair.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on X/Twitter @john_tuohy and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Nickel Plate Trail work nears start, bridge funds sought
