Singing Sands Trail
Phases 1 and 2

Summary:

Michigan City has long been a hub for transportation and utility corridors, including roadways, numerous railroads, major power, and gas facilities. This is also true regarding planned and existing multi-use paths and trails in Northwest Indiana. The Singing Sands Trail connects to the Calumet Trail and is the City’s portion of the multi-state Marquette Greenway that stretches from Chicago to Michigan. 

Phases 1 and 2 of the Trail establish 3.6 miles of paved trail for non-motorized recreation and transportation. The pathway creates a true greenway along a wide variety of urban environments, including railroad yards, highways, the front of City Hall, the marina across two hazardous waste mitigation sites, and through forested wetlands! 

The first 1.9 miles of trail lies along both a Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) utility corridor and a Chicago South Shore & South Bend (CSS&SB) railroad corridor. Extensive coordination and design reviews and revisions were required to accommodate not only current facilities but also future expansions. The trail also traverses across two hazardous waste sites. Trail development on the Waste, Inc. site required significant effort in coordination and review of regulations and design options with the EPA and the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP) and their consultants. The result is a strategic combination of pavement and boardwalks that initiates the conversation of this site overlooking Trail Creek into a recreational facility. 

One of the goals of this project was also to initiate the development of the eastern-most sections of the Marquette Greenway and the recreation and transportation opportunities it will provide. It will also create numerous social and economic benefits to the citizens of both Michigan City and NW Indiana.