Purchased plot of key land helps to progress Dunes Kankakee Trail in Town of Porter

Several years ago, the Town of Porter received a significant grant from Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) for general municipal redevelopment and growth. Today, Porter is using a portion of that grant to purchase land at the corner of Waverly Road and U.S. 20 in order to expand the Waverly Road section of the Dunes Kankakee Trail further north. In the future, the town intends to extend the trail all the way to Porter Beach.

The purchase, totaling $197,000, is a key move in Porter’s goal to expand Dunes Kankakee Trail not only because it adds mileage to the trail, but also because it enhances safety for trail pedestrians.

“We’re purchasing that property so when we continue the trail up Waverly Road we have a place to cross U.S. 20 safely,” said Michael Barry, director of development and building commissioner for the Town of Porter and a member of the Scenic Byway Working Group. “It is very important that visitors and local citizens have access to safe passage in the traditionally busy Waverly Road and U.S. 20 intersection.”

With this land purchase and further trail development, the Dunes Kankakee Trail will be closer to completion in Porter. Other surrounding Northwest Indiana cities are working to complete the components of the trail that runs through their communities. Notably, some parts of the trail are built in nearby Chesterton.

“One of the aspects of the Dunes Kankakee Trail is that it will connect Porter to Chesterton, which is separated by three sets of railroad tracks,” Barry said.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is constructing a section of the Dunes Kankakee Trail on the Waverly Road bridge over I-94. It is being fully funded by INDOT with a contribution by Porter for the trail section. The remaining Porter RDA funds are being used towards the Porter contribution.

Ultimately, the RDA and other funding will be used to grow and enhance additional trails in Porter and other areas of Northwest Indiana. The Marquette Greenway Trail section, which runs through the Mnoke Prairie to the west of Porter, is slated to be completed in about a week. The trail connects the section that Burns Harbor is constructing to the existing Porter Brickyard / Dunes Kankakee Trail on Howe Road, which then connects to the Calumet Trail / Marquette Greenway Trail on the north side of U.S. 12. From this point, U.S. 12 runs east and connects to several other trails.

“Between 2011 and 2016, the RDA contributed about $3.3 million to the Town of Porter trails to kickstart the overall project,” Barry said. “This investment has been absolutely pivotal to facilitating enhanced access to our beautiful trails in Northwest Indiana like Dunes Kankakee Trail and others.”

As the overall larger trail project continues to progress, including the Waverly Road component that’s been fundamental for the full Dunes Kankakee Trail’s expansion and total completion, so too does connectivity for Northwest Indiana citizens. With the key purchase of land, Porter is one step closer to full trail development.

To learn more about the Northwest Indiana RDA, you can visit in.gov/rda.