Riverside-Jackson Trail project to start work in 2022 with summer completion

MUNCIE, Ind. — The planned trail from Jackson Street east of Morrison Road and continuing along Riverside Avenue to the Ball State University campus now has contractors assigned and a new overall cost estimate that includes two other related projects.

The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance announced this week that three contracts have been awarded for for work to install a pedestrian trail, repave Riverside Avenue and reconstruct the street intersection at Jackson and Riverside.

Taken together, the work is now projected to cost $2.25 million. The cost of each individual project was not specified in the announcement.

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The contractors chosen were E&B Paving, 3D Construction and DC Construction Services. The effort to create the trail has evolved since some homeowners along the trail objected to the proposal in 2019.

“After careful planning, based on the public input meetings in 2019, a broad community partnership has formed to address storm water issues, automobile travel speeds and traffic back-ups — all concerns of the public — that will further enhance the pedestrian trail being built on Riverside Avenue,” said Sara Shade Hamilton, chairperson, Delaware Advancement Corporation Board of Directors.

DAC awarded the contracts along with the city of Muncie and the Muncie Sanitary District.

The trail will now connect Morrison Road to Tillotson Avenue/Ball State, including a spur to the Catalina Swim Club on Clarkdale Avenue.

The combined projects have varied funding sources.

According to the announcement, DAC was awarded a Department of Natural Resources Next Level Trail Grant and an East Central Indiana Regional Development Authority trail grant. The Muncie Sanitary District is funding the storm water improvements through its storm water utility program plus money from the American Recovery Plan. Muncie city government is using an INDOT Community Crossings grant to cover road improvements.

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Last month the East Central Indiana Regional Development Authority, which disperses state grant money for projects like the trail, provided an additional $245,000, said Brad Bookout, an authority member and director of economic development and redevelopment for Delaware County. The money came from a $598,000 allotment for the project through the Next Level Trail grant.

"FlatLand Resources and IXOYE engineering have been providing project management design services for the projects. There is a substantial completion date of July 30, 2022 for the three projects," said the statement from the economic development alliance.

City Engineer Brian Stephens-Hotopp said the work would include significant changes to the traffic corridor.

“Utility relocation work has already started. The water company will be installing a new water line along Riverside Avenue before the trail project begins,” he said.

The intersection at Jackson and Riverside will change.

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The project will "add a passing lane on Jackson to let people turn left," Hotopp-Stephens told the Star Press.

The intersection will be less angular.

"One travel lane will be eliminated on Riverside that will help slow the travel speeds of cars at Jackson Street,” he said in the announcement.

Given the scope of the project, residents in this area of town should plan for construction inconveniences for several months in 2022, Stephens-Hotopp said.

The trail itself will vary in width from 8 feet to 10 feet. It will start east of Morrison on Jackson at a 8-foot width and increase to 10 feet near the Jackson Street intersection with West Cardinal Drive. It will continue at 10 feet along Riverside until its intersection with Greenbriar Road. The pedestrian path will then return to an 8-foot width until it reaches Tillotson Avenue.

David Penticuff is the local government reporter at the Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie's Riverside-Jackson Trail project to start work in 2022