And now, here are three major (or intriguing) additions to trails and parks to watch in the coming year.
Coal Line Trail
Over the past several weeks, contractors have started the work of converting the old Coal Line railroad bridge over the St. Joseph River, just north of Angela Boulevard in South Bend, into a pedestrian bridge.
This signals the home stretch for the Coal Line Trail, as the city expects to finish the bridge and the final half of the trail by the end of this year, according to city planner Chris Dressel, who serves as the city’s bicycle coordinator.
September 2022:Coal Line Trail now open. And new trail opens near Benton Harbor.
With cranes on site, contractors have started to remove railroad ties from the bridge. Dressel says most of the nearly century-old bridge’s spans and decking will be used, based on what an inspection in 2016 had found. Some of the smaller, connective materials will need to be replaced. A section of the bridge along the west bank has to be rebuilt. All of that will be painted dark gray.