Finishing touches appear on safe routes, pathway ready for paving

Finishing touches of painted streets and signs posted are giving locals an indication that the Safe Routes to Schools project is wrapping up, while the Winamac Pathway is ready to be paved.

Winamac Town Manager Brad Zellers said signs are up and seed for grass should be planted on the Safe Routes to School project. He said the project is wrapping up but some sidewalk work will need to be completed before the project is complete.

“The trail is nice. It looks good and people are cleaning up their houses behind it,” Zellers said. “I am amazed the amount of people using it in town.”

Since the safe routes path has been paved, he has seen an increase in foot and bicycle traffic.

Safe Routes to School is using the railroad right-of-way that will be paved from Superior Street to the old depot at the corner of Main and Logan streets.

As part of the Safe Routes project, sidewalks that were in poor condition along the west side of Riverside Drive from Pearl Street to Superior Street were replaced. Intersections were also made Americans with Disabilities Act compliant with ramps.

Residents might be waiting a little longer to see the Winamac Pathway paved. The pathway travels west of the Head Start playground on Pearl, north to SR 14.

“It’s a small job and it’s hard to move in and out all of that equipment for that,” Zellers said.

Zellers said he would like to see water fountains, shelters and bathrooms put along the path but those projects aren’t in the works anytime soon.