Muncie city officials recently announced a new grant to continue to build a trail network at Prairie Creek Reservoir. IPR’s Thomas Ouellette asked why a more than $260,000 grant will only fund about a mile of trail.

The city of Muncie says the trail extension will connect to the Phase II trail and go to the beach houses at the northern end of the reservoir.

For this work, the city received a grant of $266,000.

Muncie communications director Michele Owen assures that all of the money is being put to good use.

“One of the things that surprises people is just how much these projects take between the engineering and laying a good foundation, so that there’s less maintenance to do,” said Owen. “These kinds of projects are very, very expensive, much more than you’d think putting a trail down would be.”

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Owen says the project includes a 9-foot-wide trail, adding additional parking near the trail heads, and signage. Owen also confirmed that the work will be done by Flatland Resources.

Construction is slated to begin next year.

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Owen could not say how much the previous trail sections cost the city. They were completed during a previous mayor’s administration.

Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer.  Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu.