Karwick Nature Park & Bridge Over Trail Creek

Haas & Associates recently designed the Karwick Nature Park in Michigan City. This was an adaptive reuse project, funded with grant money provided by the Lake Michigan Coastal Grant Program.  The project involved transforming 23.5 acres, formerly an unregulated landfill, into a public access recreation area bordered by an undisturbed wildlife habitat and natural forest along the banks of Trail Creek.  Ultimately, the park is intended to provide an impressive amount of amenities, including “Education Stations”, walking trails, bike paths, and picnic shelters.  Additionally, there will be a nature center and a fishing area, as well as natural features such as Trail Creek, surrounding wetlands and natural wildlife, all which make this project a truly remarkable renovation.  The picture below depict the areas of the nature park near an 80 foot span pedestrian bridge that was installed in 2009 with the assistance of the Lake Michigan Coastal Grant Program and local volunteer organizations, that providing access to an additional 13 acres across Trail Creek.

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Orchard Pedestrian Way

Currently, Haas & Associates is involved in the environmental permitting and design phase of a Pedestrian Walk Way in the Town of Porter, Indiana.  Because of the project area’s proximity to natural wetlands, Haas & Associates has taken particular measures and consulted numerous relevant agencies to ensure the preservation and continuation of these surrounding areas. The project itself consists of the design, coordination and construction of a 1.5 mile, 8 ft. wide multi-use asphalt trail, which will run north through downtown Porter and will include a new bridge over the Little Calumet River, connecting many areas of interest before ending just north of US Hwy. 20 near Splash Down Dunes Water Park. This trail will connect to, and is built in conjunction with, an INDOT project funded with Transportation Enhancement Funds, which connects the Prairie-Duneland Trail on the lower end of Chesterton, to the Calumet Trail which runs parallel to and north of US Hwy 12.  When complete, the entire trail system will make a connection with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and will include directional and informational signage, safety gates, and safety paint striping.

Orchard Pedestrian Way - Bridge Over Little Calumet

The Bridge Over Little Calumet was officially placed into service on May 6, 2009, by Town officials, the erection contractor Albin Carlson and Haas & Associates personnel.  Click here to read the article regarding the ribbon cutting ceremony that was published in the Porter County Post Tribune.

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