Mackenzi Klemann and Kyle Huckins, Herald-Press
The next phase of construction of the Little River Trail should begin sometime in August, municipal engineering head Anthony Goodnight said on Wednesday.
The Huntington Area Recreational Trails Association and the City of Huntington are in the fourth phase of a five-part project that will see a recreational bike trail extend five miles along the Historic Forks of the Wabash into downtown Huntington, according to HARTA’s website.
The Huntington Board of Works on Monday heard bids for the most recent trail section, which will begin near South LaFontaine Street downtown and head east 0.78 miles toward the historic Erie Railroad Bridge.
This portion of the project should cost just over $1 million, according to a quote submitted by E&B Paving. Goodnight said the local contractor was the only organization to bid on the project and the offer will be taken under advisement until the next meeting in August.
A variety of funding sources, including private donations and grants, will help cover the costs, while the rest will be paid for by the city government.
Goodnight and representatives from Huntington are hoping for approval of a recent request for $255,000 in Regional Cities Initiative funding for the project. He and several other local officials met with the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority on Tuesday to make that request, part of a larger, $15 million planned urban revitalization.
Goodnight hopes for an answer by the next board meeting in August.
“We had a good meeting,” Goodnight said. “They had a lot of good questions. It was the first trails proposal for them.”
Section four of the trail will include amenities such as trail signs and a pavilion, which HARTA has raised around $22,000 in donations to construct.
The Erie Railroad Bridge portion of the trail is expected to open in 2017, according to HARTA, while construction on the final phase of the Forks of the Wabash trail project will begin at a later date.
“(This is) part of a bigger project,” Goodnight explained. “We’ve broken it down into phases to make it more manageable. You can’t just design and build everything at one time.”
HARTA also hopes to conduct a feasibility study on regional trails, according to its president, Jody Davenport.
“I think it’s great that the city trails are going to be completed,” Davenport said, “but that’s a very small piece of the puzzle. HARTA is working on regional trail development now … that will be the major focus over the next several years.”
Huntington’s trail plan was developed in part to enhance the area’s quality of life, according to Board of Works member Dwight Brautigram.
“People here want recreational opportunities and trails,” he said. “My wife and I have used the Fort Wayne trail system. It adds to the quality of life to get outside and walk. The trail work increases the opportunities for activity and exercise. … It’s part of a long-term trail plan by the city.”