Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
ORLEANS – Community leaders, trail organizers, and state and local representatives invite the public to a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to officially open the Orleans section of the Monon South Trail.
The event begins at 1 p.m. and will include speakers from Radius Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, town of Orleans, city of New Albany, the Cook Group and the Monon South Trail project team.
Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana, will welcome guests and be followed by remarks from Dan Bortner, IDNR director; Steve Ferguson, Cook Group International board chairman; Robert Henderson, Orleans clerk-treasurer; Jeff Gahan, mayor of New Albany; and representatives from the project teams of Clark-Dietz and Taylor Seifker Williams.
“The Radius team felt that it was important to open part of the Monon South Trail in 2024 to show our regional partners that we’re making progress and will continue to deliver this exciting new asset,” Quyle said.
A groundbreaking for the trail took place in Borden in July and construction on Phase 1A began soon after on the Orleans and Mitchell segments. The first phase of construction will see the completion of 20 miles of paved and aggregate sections of the trail through the downtown areas of Borden, New Pekin, Salem, Saltillo, Campbellsburg, Orleans and Mitchell. The Orleans segment is 1.27 miles.
When it’s completed, the Monon South Trail will provide health benefits and recreation to approximately 440,000 people who live within 10 miles of the trail as well as countless visitors to the area. Initial funding for the trail was received from Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Trails program.
Parking for the ribbon cutting will be available at the Orleans trailhead or at Congress Square in downtown Orleans, about three blocks west of the trailhead.