NEW ALBANY SECURES $2M GRANT FOR RECREATION TRAIL

NEW ALBANY SECURES $2M GRANT FOR RECREATION TRAIL:

The City of New Albany’s South Monon Freedom Trail just received a $2 MILLION grant from the State of Indiana through their Next Level Trails program!

“I want to thank the Governor of Indiana for recognizing New Albany’s commitment to trails and recreation,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “We have been establishing the South Monon Freedom Trail for years, and this grant money will help jumpstart this exciting recreation project for Southern Indiana.”

A $150 million grant program, Next Level Trails is the largest infusion of trails funding in state history. In rounds one and two, a total of $55 million was awarded to 35 communities. To date, $120 million has been awarded to build 190 miles of trails throughout Indiana. Ninety-four percent of Hoosiers live within five miles of a trail.

In 2017, CSX abandoned its rail line from the northern edge of New Albany to the East Fork of the White River, south of Bedford. This created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop a new, 68-mile-long “South Monon Freedom Trail” stretching through 5 Indiana counties (Clark, Floyd, Lawrence, Orange, and Washington), and connecting nine Indiana towns and cities (Bedford, Mitchell, Saltillo, Campbellsburg, Salem, New Pekin, Borden, Orleans, and New Albany). If completed, this would be the longest, continuous recreation trail in Indiana, creating immense recreation and economic opportunities for the region.

The $2 million in grant money from the State of Indiana will help kick off the project, and begin with a connection from the existing Ohio River Greenway, extending north through downtown. The new trail will begin along 6th street near Fairview Cemetery, where it travels south to Culbertson Avenue and Bank Street. At Bank Street, the trail travels south through downtown New Albany until it reaches a rail corridor parallel to the Ohio River. This project connects users to New Albany’s historic downtown, the Riverfront Amphitheater, and miles of existing trail along the New Albany Shoreline.