http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2004/08/30/news/porter_county/06f3f3825e43938e86256efd00816825.txt

Pedestrian path takes next step

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Monday, August 30, 2004 12:02 AM CDT

PORTER -- The town's Waverly Road sidewalk project now has an engineer and a mandate for construction next year.

The Redevelopment Commission this week named Haas & Associates of Michigan City as project engineers. A final contract is subject to further surveying and a cost estimate from Haas.

Haas representative Kenn Kraus said an estimate would have to wait on finalization of the route and a decision on whether two bridges along the way would need any widening. The bridges cross the Little Calumet River and Interstate 94. Surveying will wait until the leaves are off the trees in fall, Kraus said.

The 1.25-mile pedestrian path is set to start on Woodlawn Avenue at League Lane. It will go to Waverly Road and then continue north along Waverly past Old Orchard Apartments to U.S. 20.

It is possible the path will continue along Waverly from Splash Down Dunes water park to U.S. 12, commission member Paul Childress said. That will depend on how long grant money for the project holds out, he said. The walking path will be a minimum of six feet wide.

The project will be funded through a $1 million transportation enhancement fund grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation. The town will put up 20 percent of the cost.

Under terms of the grant, the town has until 2007 to build the path, but Childress said the intention is to start and complete the work next year.

Brian Williams can be reached at [email protected] or (219) 462-5151, ext. 348.