HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-27-2007 State OKs Riverside Trail design, work to begin in ’08 o�sou TH
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Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, August 27, 2007
10:30 AM
State OKs Riverside Trail design, work to begin in '08
Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-
1564, or Carl Littrell, City Engineer, 235-9251
The Indiana Department of Transportation has approved the design for phase II of the
Riverside Trail, which will extend the trail north from Oakwood Boulevard to the Darden
Road pedestrian bridge.
The new 1.45-mile segment will bring the total length of the trail to 3.2 miles from its
starting point at the corner of Angela Boulevard and Riverside Drive.
Approval of the design for the next phase, five weeks after the opening of the first phase,
means the contract can be put out for bid this winter with construction beginning early in
2008.
"The Riverside Trail has uncovered the hidden treasure of the St. Joseph River and helps
South Bend lay claim to being one of the most beautiful mid-sized cities in America,"
said Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. "Through City Plan, residents expressed a strong desire
for the kind of quality of life these trails provide, and my administration is dedicated to
making an expanding system of trails like this a reality."
Although phase I of the Riverside Trail officially opened July 17, the final landscaping
work on the trail won't be completed until fall. Completion of phase II is anticipated in
fall 2008.
The first phase of the Riverside Trail cost $1.79 million to build a 9,225-foot long and
10-foot wide path.
South Bend's share of the federal gas tax supported 80 percent of the project cost by
means of a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. (Officially the grant is
through the Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Program by means of the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users" or SAFETEA-LU.) The remaining 20 percent is covered by the
City of South Bend's general fund.
The City of South Bend's commitment to a dedicated walking and bicycle trail along the
St. Joseph River began in the 1970s. Completion of the entire Riverside Trail segment
will bring the total trail system to more than 11 miles in length.
Luecke issued a directive in his 2007 State of the City address to complete a riverwalk
system from Logan Street to Darden Road in the first five years of City Plan
implementation, calling upon staff to start engineering plans in 2007 for the remaining
segments.
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