Chesterton, IN - The Town of Chesterton and Lake Erie Land Company are pleased to announce the opening of the former Wabash Rail right-of-way as the new Rail Road.
The roadway provides Chesterton's only east-west link across State Route 49 that does not require a crossing at grade. The $1.2 million project establishes a roadway that runs from the LEL property west of Dickinson Road and continues east, underneath Route 49, to County Road 100 East. The two-lane road includes bike and pedestrian access, helping provide a safe link for more than just automotive traffic. Utilizing the abandoned rail right-of-way has been an idea contemplated in Chesterton for many years. It was with an earlier annexation agreement between Chesterton and Lake Erie Land Company, that the idea turned to reality. According to LEL president, Jerry Mobley, "The window of opportunity was rapidly closing due to development on both sides of 49. Lake Erie worked with a local firm to help acquire the easements on the east side of 49 and we proceeded with the engineering, permitting and selling our ideas to the town." Said Mobley, "The opening of Rail Road is the result of a coalition formed by many individuals, the Town of Chesterton and its staff, property owners, and LEL." Lake Erie Land Company, headquartered in Chesterton, Indiana, is a subsidiary of NiSource, Inc. LEL projects include the country club and neighborhoods of Sand Creek, recognized as one of the finest golf course communities in the Midwest and Coffee Creek Center, one the country's premier examples of new urbanism and environmental development. In addition, LEL is also creating initiatives in wetland banking, as well as eco-industrial development."