The Nickel Plate Trail will soon become the second major rail trail connecting Indianapolis and Hamilton County. But ongoing construction means that trail users won’t be able to travel its full length until late next year.
Indianapolis leaders on Oct. 21 officially opened a portion of the Nickel Plate from 42nd to 75th streets, allowing bicyclists and pedestrians to travel northeast from the Indiana State Fairgrounds to Interstate 465.
North of that point, however, riders hit an impasse as the Indiana Department of Transportation continues to rebuild the I-465 and I-69 interchange. INDOT expects to finish that project and open the trail in “late 2026,” spokeswoman Natalie Garrett said.
Indy has already paved most of the Nickel Plate from that interchange north to 96th Street, too. But the city of Fishers is still finishing a bridge over 96th that’s expected to open this December, Fishers spokeswoman Ashley Elrod said.
Regardless, Indianapolis and state leaders gathered Tuesday to celebrate Indy’s newly opened section of the Nickel Plate. The finished trail will span about 18 miles, connecting downtown Noblesville to the state fairgrounds while passing through downtown Fishers. The Nickel Plate connects to the Monon Trail at 42nd Street, allowing riders to continue on to downtown Indy.
How the Nickel Plate Trail will enhance safety
In light of recurrent safety issues along other trails, Indy’s portion of the Nickel Plate includes so-called HAWK signals at road crossings, where trail users can press a button to stop oncoming traffic. Most crossings on the Monon warn drivers to watch for trail users but don’t show them a red light.
Central Indiana Cycling, a bicycling advocacy organization, praised the HAWK signals and other design features like raised crosswalks for enhancing safety.
“These safety improvements are key to making the trail safe for all ages and abilities,” CIC said in a statement. “We encourage their implementation at the road crossings for all multi-use trails in Indianapolis, especially those with high speed traffic.”
The Nickel Plate will become even safer when two pedestrian bridges carry riders over Keystone Avenue and 82nd Street in the coming years, thanks to millions of federal dollars allocated by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization. Construction of those bridges will begin in 2026 and 2028, respectively.
Indy’s 10-mile portion of the Nickel Plate cost about $15 million, while Fishers and Noblesville respectively spent $15 million and $3.4 million. About half of that total $33 million cost came from Indiana Next Level Trails grants or other state funding sources.
Much of the Nickel Plate Trail follows the path of the former railroad for which it’s named. Built in the late 19th century, the railroad connected Central Indiana to major cities like Chicago, New York and St. Louis. Freight traffic stopped in the 1990s and was temporarily replaced by tourist trains carting passengers to the Indiana State Fair.
Join a Nickel Plate Trail group ride
The city and Central Indiana Cycling will host a community bike ride on the Nickel Plate Trail at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. The 12-mile ride will start and end at the trailhead parking lot at 62nd Street and Allisonville Road.
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Nickel Plate Trail is (mostly) finished. Here’s when it will connect Indy to Hamilton County
Reporting by Jordan Smith, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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