Construction of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between York Dr. and the end of the current trail east of the Dairy Queen in Middlebury will create a work area along State Road 13 and east of the Dairy Queen that will make the trail unsafe for trail users. "The closing is necessary because trail construction is happening at the same time State Road 13 will be resurfaced from the Dairy Queen to State Road 4, making it impossible to have trail traffic exit onto State Road 13 at the Dairy Queen," said Scott Van Ommeran, superintendent of Elkhart County Parks. "We do not want people continuing west past County Road 43 and getting to the end of the trail with nowhere to go," Van Ommeran said. "The liability of allowing people to blaze their own trail through the construction zone or across private property is too high."

Two new construction projects will connect two existing sections of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

The development of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail was divided into six phases to facilitate the acquisition of construction funds. Presently, the trail is completed from Goshen to the south end of Middlebury and from the north end of Middlebury to Shipshewana. Trail users are anxious for these two completed sections to be linked by new trail construction in Middlebury.

Two construction projects are underway to build these links. On December 17 Niblock Excavating started building 1.2 miles of trail from U.S. 20 to Wayne St. There the new trail will meet the 0.4 mile trail built by Middlebury Park Department in 2005. This older trail extends to York Dr. and passes through Krider Nurseries World's Fair Garden which is a special attraction for trail users. The construction is expected to be completed in summer 2013.

The second construction project, also awarded to Walsh and Kelly, will build 2000 feet of trail from York Dr., along Ind. 13, to the existing trail behind Dairy Queen. This section will cross Ind. 13 at York Dr. The construction will occur in conjunction with the resurfacing of Ind. 13 in the spring and summer of 2013. These projects will mark the completion of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.

The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail project started more than 20 years ago. The effort is rewarded today by the enthusiastic use of the trail by bicyclists, joggers, walkers and people traveling for work and business.