The City of Noblesville and Hamilton County Parks and Recreation officials officially opened the Levee Trail on Tuesday. The new amenity continues to increase Noblesville’s trail availability and connectivity. The Levee Trail adds 1.4 miles of multi-use asphalt on the east side of Morse Reservoir running from Morse Park and Beach north along the reservoir to Carrigan Road.
“This trail has been discussed for several years and I’m very pleased to see it come to fruition. The trail is especially important as it connects at least 7,000 northern Noblesville residents to existing trails leading to downtown,” said Mayor John Ditslear. “Trails provide enjoyable and safe options for pedestrians and alternative transportation, which reduces air pollution, and the Levee Trail adds beautiful scenery along the Morse Reservoir.”
The Levee Trail is a collaboration between the City of Noblesville and Hamilton County Parks and Recreation (HCPR). It is the second trail project connecting Noblesville residents to a county park – the first being the White River Greenway Trail and Potter’s Bridge Park.
“The addition of the Levee Trail that includes Morse Park will enhance the access and use of the park, as well as furthering the connectivity of the park to more of the City of Noblesville and the Town of Cicero,” said HCPR Director Al Patterson.
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On Tuesday, the city also dedicated its 100th trail mile with a decorative marker north of Dakota Drive on the Levee Trail. When Ditslear started as mayor in 2004 the city had 35 trail miles.
“Reaching this milestone shows the city’s commitment to activating and connecting people and places,” said Parks Director Brandon Bennett. “Through our constant expansion of city’s trail network, the community gets a chance to enjoy the outdoors and get physical and mental health benefits.”
The Levee Trail accomplishes one of the Noblesville NOW Capital Improvement Plan’s goals to improve pedestrian infrastructure. An agreement with Citizens Energy has allowed this project to be built on its property. The amenity includes an 8-foot-wide trail beside the levee and a 10-foot-wide path on top.
In addition to the Levee Trail, Noblesville is completing work on two other major trail projects –Midland Trace Trail Phase III and Riverwalk Phase IV.