BLOOMINGTON – The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department has reopened the Rail Trail crossing of South Rogers St. with new safety and accessibility improvements. The formerly diagonal crossing has been reconstructed to allow trail users to cross South Rogers Street perpendicular to traffic just south of West Baywood Drive, shortening the amount of time needed to cross the road and improving sightlines for both drivers and trail users.
The Board of Park Commissioners approved a $212,280 contract with Milestone Contractors in September for this work, which also included widening and paving the trail on both sides of South Rogers Street. The project was planned to occur simultaneously with the installation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at the crossing by the Monroe County Highway Department.
While the trail has reopened, several aspects of the project remain in progress, including activating the RRFBs, re-striping the crossing, installing a new streetlight, and turf restoration and stabilization. These items will be complete in early 2026.
Separately, the City of Bloomington Engineering Department is overseeing the B-Line Connection Project, which aims to connect the existing B-Line Trail terminus at Adams Street with the multi-use path on the 17th Street I-69 overpass. The construction of a multi-use path along West Fountain Drive and North Crescent Road was completed in 2024, and Milestone Contractors recently completed the new 0.1-mile stretch of the B-Line Trail to connect the new multi-use path to the existing B-Line trailhead at North Adams Street. This section of the trail is now open for use, and brings the total length of the B-Line Trail to 3.2 miles. Some aspects of the project, including tree planting and activating the light poles, will not be completed until early 2026.
For the most up-to-date information, follow Parks and Recreation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BloomingtonParksandRecreationDepartment or call 812-349-3700.
