F.H. Paschen Starts Work on Missing Link of Marquette Greenway Trail in Indiana

New $8 million, 1-Mile project closes a critical gap through the Indiana Dunes National Park

BURNS HARBOR, INDIANA – For years, hikers and cyclists traveling the Marquette Greenway Trail in Northwest Indiana faced a sudden dead end in Burns Harbor, forced off the path at Stanley Street.

This week, F.H. Paschen broke ground on the latest phase of the trail, partnering with the town of Burns Harbor to build a new stretch of connecting trail through the Indiana Dunes National Park.

The Marquette Greenway Trail is a planned 60-mile corridor linking Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan, across five Indiana counties and 15 communities. With 32 miles already open, this new $8 million, one-mile section brings the trail closer to completion for its 1.4 million annual users.

The one-mile project features complex civil engineering, including extensive grading, asphalt and concrete paving, storm sewer culverts, the construction of an elevated boardwalk and the installation of a prefabricated pedestrian bridge.

"As an Indiana-based team, there's a unique level of pride that comes with building up our own backyard," said James Reitz, Head of the F.H. Paschen Indiana Group. "These projects are a meaningful way for our team to contribute to visible progress here in Indiana.”

Abonmarche serves as engineering consultant on the project. To minimize the trail footprint within the federally protected dunes ecosystem, Paschen is utilizing 212 driven timber piles and more than 300 helical piles to support elevated boardwalk sections. One of the unique features of the extension is an enclosed bridge path built beneath an active Norfolk Southern Railroad crossing at the East Arm of the Little Calumet River, eliminating pedestrian-rail conflicts.

"Building through a federally protected landscape means every square inch of our site preparation has to be thoughtful," added F.H. Paschen Project Engineer Skylar Noonan. "We are working hand-in-hand with the Town of Burns Harbor, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service daily, ensuring our specialized erosion controls protect these wetlands every step of the way."

This is the second segment of trail work in Northwest Indiana that Paschen has completed, with the 2025 opening of Chesterton’s Westchester Liberty Trail. With offices in Merrillville, Lafayette and South Bend, F.H. Paschen’s Indiana Group is committed to building better communities across The Hoosier State.

Source: F. H. Paschen.