(La Porte, IN) - Extension of the Chessie Trail in La Porte is well underway.

 

Right now, much of the work is occurring on First Street. where sidewalks are being torn out for extending the trail currently running from Pine Lake to New Porte Landing. Once completed, the trail will extend across Pine Lake Avenue by Lily Lake and into downtown on Lake Street and Tyler Street then 1st Street.

 

Code Enforcement and Street Department Director Jeff Batchelor said the trail extension will end at the TransPorte office at 102 L Street.  He said nearly 30 trees mostly about 10 inches in diameter have been cut down from tree lawns along the route to help make the path smooth.

 

Few, if any, trees are left to be removed.

 

Batchelor said the sidewalks will be replaced with a 10 foot wide hard surface trail.

 

“It’s going to be a nice project,” he said.

 

Construction should be completed by no later than the end of June.

 

“They’re hoping to get it done sooner,” he said.

 

At some point, the next phase of the extension will take the trail to Soldiers Memorial Park.

 

City Engineer Nick Minich said the estimated cost of the trail extension is just over $1.6 million.   80-percent of the expense is covered by federal dollars while the balance will be paid with a grant from the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte.