Work on two more trail corridors to begin in 2010

While work continues on the North and Northeast corridors of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, construction will begin this year on two more legs of the unique pedestrian and bicycle greenway.

Work will begin in May on the Capitol Avenue corridor, which will run from Washington Street to South Street, connecting the yet-to-be-built Central Corridor with the new Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.

The same month, work will begin on Alabama Street, extending the East Corridor from its current end at Market Street to Washington Street.

In either May or June, construction will begin on the Southeast Corridor which will connect Downtown to Fountain Square. That route will run down Virginia Avenue to the newly reconstructed fountain at the heart of Fountain Square. The Southeast Corridor will feature bus shelters decorated with public art in the form of poetry. The poems and poets chosen for the “Moving Forward” project will be announced in either February or March.

Work on the North Corridor is expected to be substantially complete by July, when an official ribbon-cutting is anticipated. That event, yet to be scheduled, will include a special celebration to unveil the Glick Peace Walk which is part of that corridor just west of Meridian Street.

A ribbon-cutting for the Northeast Corridor, through Chatham Arch and the Mass Ave Art & Theater District, is targeted for September.

While 2010 is billed as the busiest yet for the Cultural Trail, organizers are also reporting a successful fund-raising year just completed. Despite the tough economy, local donors contributed over $1 million to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail last year, trail officials said.

“The Cultural Trail is a unique project for many reasons,” said Cultural Trail spokesperson Gail Payne. “One of the biggest and most important reasons why it is different from other urban trails around the world is the fact that private individuals, foundations and businesses are paying for most of it through charitable contributions.”

Payne said the Cultural Trail has raised $43 million of its $55 million goal, mostly from donors.