The precise path of the Dunes-Kankakee Trail is still undecided in some areas, but Indiana Dunes Tourism Executive Director Lorelei Weimer mapped out the most likely route from the lakeshore to the Porter County Expo Center.
The Brickyard Trail in Porter probably will become the town's main segment of the new trail, and it will link to the Calumet Trail to connect to the tourism offices and visitors center.
Chesterton is expected to connect with the Porter trail at 18th Street and follow Broadway through downtown and then south along South Calumet Road and County Road 100 East before crossing Ind. 49 at Rail Road. It then would go south on Kelle Drive and Village Point and would cross the Indiana Toll Road on the Ind. 49 overpass. Chesterton's section would use the Ind. 49 right of way and end at the County Road 900 North utility corridor.
The county's portion could follow the ample right of way along Ind. 49 to Valparaiso city limits at County Road 500 North. Valparaiso's link likely would follow Silhavy south to U.S. 30, and, crossing that, the trail would probably follow Ind. 49 to the expo center.
Future studies will determine the best route from there, but Weimer said it might be possible to widen Ind. 49 enough to add a bike lane for at least part of the remaining route.
The link to Hebron might use an abandoned rail line, but portions of that have been deeded to neighboring property owners. A path along the Kankakee would be scenic but subject to flooding problems, she said.
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