Step 1: Public Outreach: Wells County Trails conducted a public meeting on September 29, 2022, to discuss the potential SR 124 trail project with local landowners and stakeholders.  The meeting helped us form our game plan moving forward regarding the goals for this corridor.  The most significant finding is that there is strong public support for the project.

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Step 2: Understand the Challenges: Wells County Trails has partnered with NIRCC (Northeast Indiana Regional Coordinating Council to complete a red flag investigation along the route to better understand any challenges that will need to be addressed during the project. Click HERE to review the findings of the red flag investigation.  We have already started to investigate some of these findings further.

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Step 3: Develop a Game Plan: We are currently at this point in the process of developing a trail along the SR 124 corridor. We are looking to hire an engineering firm to develop an engineering study looking at different route options, trail designs, and estimated costs.  This information will then better inform Wells County Trails and the City of Bluffton on how to best move forward.  We are currently seeking donations to help with the cost of the engineering study.  The Wells County Foundation has funded a dollar-for-dollar matching grant through the Eli Lilly Foundation to help pursue this study.  Your contribution to the engineering study will be matched!  See the donation information below.

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Step 4: Complete Engineering: Once the engineering study is complete.  Wells County Trails and the City of Bluffton will move forward with completing the necessary construction plans on the selected route and design.  Depending on the type of grant funding that we pursue to cover the construction costs may be done before the grant application or as part of the grant package.

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Step 5: Construction Funding: Wells County Trails and the City of Bluffton will be looking to create a public/private partnership to help bring together the best funding options for the construction of the trail.  With a project of this magnitude, it will take private contributions, local government contributions, and grants will be needed to make this project possible.  We will actively work with our project engineer and local leadership to pursue state or federal grants to help lower the cost burden on local government and philanthropic giving.  

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Step 6: Construction: The final phase of this project will be the selection of a contractor and the physical construction of the trail.  This will most likely be done within the confines of the state or federal funding opportunity that we select that best fits this project.