Nickel Plate Trail Adds Over 10-mile Connection in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — There’s a new 10.3-mile long stretch of trail in Indianapolis.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the city of Indianapolis celebrated the completion of the Nickel Plate Trail with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday. In April 2022, the DNR announced a $5 million grant to help with the city’s construction of the 10-foot-wide, multi-use trail.
The new trail follows the historic Nickel Plate railroad corridor, connecting to the Monon Trail near the Indiana State Fairgrounds, up to the Marion-Hamilton county line at 96th Street. It will soon connect to the Nickel Plate Trail in Fishers with a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over 96th Street, which is currently under construction. According to the DNR, the portion of the trail under the I-465/I-69 interchange will be completed by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) in 2026.
“Across Indiana, we see communities coming together to support strong trail connections like this new connection through Indianapolis’ section of the Nickel Plate Trail,” said Chris Smith, DNR deputy director. “DNR is proud to support communities as they build trails that connect people to each other and Indiana’s great outdoors.”
The Nickel Plate Trail now runs 19 miles across Marion and Hamilton counties, connecting through Indianapolis, Fishers and Noblesville to Forest Park.
“The Nickel Plate Trail is set to become a huge public asset in Indianapolis—one that I have no doubt will soon be just as revered as the Monon Trail or the urban Indianapolis Cultural Trail,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “The level of investment and partnership we have seen for this project across Marion and Hamilton County is the sort that comes only once in a generation.”
