The Prairie Trails Club, Inc held an open door meeting in order to hear public opinions and ideas on a project to extend the existing shared-use pedestrian/bicycle trail a distance of .9 miles to the northwest from Main Street in North Judson, to along English Lake Road.
The club hopes to extend it to the Kankakee River on English Lake Rd, with future possibilities of connecting it with existing trails in La Porte County.
The Prairie Trails Club,Inc. has received an estimate on the project from Territorial Engineering, LLC at a total cost of $376,205. The approximate cost of paving would be about $40/linear foot and could add an additional $10/linear foot for areas that would require extensive grading. Through grants, the State would cover 80 percent of the cost and the Prairie Trails Club would have to match the other 20 percent. The club would be financially responsible for the upkeep of the trail.
The Erie Trail hosts The Great American Trail, American Discovery Trail, and the United States Bicycle Route 35. The trail would provide access to long distance cyclists and cross country hikers to stop in to town and see everything North Judson has to offer. It would also create a safe travel path for users to get through North Judson without having to worry about motor vehicles. It will also benefit the town itself as it creates more space for outdoor activities and exercise.
The project was met with great enthusiasm and support from the Starke County Commissioners, the North Judson Town Council and all the community members who came to the meeting.
