The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the city of Bluffton celebrated the start of construction for the Interurban Trail extension.

The 1.06-mile asphalt multi-use trail will be constructed by the City of Bluffton with help from a $404,035 Next Level Trails (NLT) grant. The award was announced by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in April 2022 as part of the third grant round of NLT.

“Next Level Trails is all about making connections between people and communities,” said Dan Bortner, DNR director. “When this new trail extension is complete, Bluffton residents will have a new connection to Ouabache State Park and all of the great resources it provides to the region.”

The new trail will extend the existing Interurban Trail north from the current terminus at Monroe Street. The extension follows State Road 1, ending south of Jackson Street. Upon completion of the extension, the total length of the Interurban Trail will be more than 3 miles, connecting the Wabash River to Lancaster Park.

“Walking trails are by far the most used park amenities, and developing this trail has been a long-term goal in Bluffton for many years,” said Brandy Fiechter, Bluffton Parks and Recreation superintendent. “This mile of trail will complete the final connection from the newly developed Lancaster Park to the historic downtown, ending at Ouabache State Park. This segment is also part of the bigger 81-mile Indiana Visionary Poka-Bache trail system, which, once complete, will increase tourism opportunities in the cities it connects. We are very grateful to Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Trails initiative for partnering with us to turn this goal into a reality.”

As part of Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Connections initiative, NLT is the largest infusion of trails funding in state history. The now $180 million program is administered by the DNR and facilitates critical trail connections within and between Hoosier communities. Thirty-two of the 89 NLT projects are complete, totaling more than 97 miles of trail built since the program’s inception. Several projects are under construction, with many more slated to break ground during the next year.

In December 2023, Gov. Holcomb announced that 14 communities received a combined $31.2 million for 28 miles of new trail as a part of NLT’s fourth round. The grants awarded in the fourth round include seven regional projects and seven local projects. The list of awards, project descriptions, and a map are posted at on.IN.gov/nlt-round-4.

More information about NLT is at on.IN.gov/NextLevelTrails.