The Town of Chesterton and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) intend to proceed with the Westchester-Liberty Trail Phase III project. The project (Des. No. 1902832) is 0.99 mile long, and located in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana. Specifically, the project consists of three connected segments. The first segment (Segment 1) begins at the intersection of CR 1100 North and North CR 50 East and extends approximately 0.45 mile east along the north side of CR 1100 North and ends where an existing 8-foot sidewalk begins. The second segment (Segment 2) exists between CR 1100 North and Laurel Creek Drive, beginning 0.21 mile west of the intersection of CR 1100 North and North CR 100 East and extends south approximately 0.30 mile on a new alignment through a wooded area before connecting to Laurel Creek Drive within the Tamarack Subdivision Park. The third segment (Segment 3) begins where Segment 2 ends, along the north side of Laurel Creek Drive, and extends east 0.20 mile to the intersection of North CR 100 East and Laurel Creek Drive. Segment 3 then extends south approximately 0.05 mile along the west side of North CR 100 East to the intersection with Rail Road. A Categorical Exclusion (CE) Level 3 Document was released for public involvement by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) on January 26, 2023.

Generally, the project proposes to construct an 8-foot-wide shared-use path, connecting Westchester-Liberty Trail I to Westchester-Liberty Trail II, and existing sidewalks.

Segment 1

The new eight-foot wide, paved, shared-use path would be constructed along the north side of CR 1100 North, from the intersection of North CR 50 East and tie into the existing eight-foot-wide concrete sidewalk which begins approximately 250 feet west of North CR 100 East. There will be crosswalks added at the intersection of CR 1100 North and North CR 50 East to connect the new shared-use path to Westchester-Liberty Trail I. Two culvert pipe extensions (STR 101 and STR 102) will be necessary and consist of adding new pipes of the same size to the outlet of each structure. STR 101 would be extended five feet north and STR 102 would be extended three feet north, carrying streams Pope O’Connor Ditch and unnamed tributary (UNT) to Pope O’Connor Ditch, respectively. In the area of STR 101 and 102, the new shared-use path would be bordered by a guardrail to the south and a pedestrian handrail to the north. Additionally, inlets, storm sewers, and driveway culverts will be installed as necessary to facilitate drainage along CR 1100 North.

Segment 2

The new shared-use path would be an eight-foot-wide boardwalk and would exist within the wooded area between CR 1100 North and Laurel Creek Drive. A small culvert (STR 106) would be constructed where the new shared-use path crosses over UNT to Pope O’Connor Ditch in the wooded area between CR 1100 North and Laurel Creek Drive. The new shared-use path would then enter the Tamarack Subdivision Park and be constructed adjacent to the existing four-foot-wide gravel sidewalk.

Segment 3

The new paved shared-use path would exist along the north side of Laurel Creek Drive and continue south along the west side of North CR 100 East to the intersection of Rail Road, where it would connect with Westchester-Liberty Trail II. The existing sidewalk along Laurel Creek Drive would be removed and replaced with a new eight-foot-wide shared-use path. ADA-compliant curb ramps would be constructed at all intersections as needed. There would be crosswalks added at the intersection of North CR 100 East and Rail Road to connect the new shared-use path to Westchester-Liberty Trail II.