Indianapolis unveiled design concepts for a trail bridge over one of the northeast side's busiest roads. This explainer covers the plan, the cost and the remaining trail gaps between Fishers and the Monon.
If you ride the Nickel Plate Trail south out of Fishers, you know the spot. Somewhere past the 96th Street bridge, the trail drops you at 82nd Street in Castleton, and you're waiting on a signal to cross one of the northeast side's busiest roads.
The city plans to fix that crossing. The Indianapolis Department of Public Works showed residents the first concept drawings of a dedicated trail bridge over 82nd Street at a public meeting on Oct. 27. The bridge is funded and in design, but it's still a few years away.
The short version
- What: A grade-separated bike and pedestrian bridge carrying the Nickel Plate Trail over 82nd Street in Castleton, just west of I-69
- How big: The main span would run about 340 feet. Engineers said that's about the size of a football field.
- Cost and funding: About $6 million in state and federal money, awarded through the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, is secured for construction. DPW's handout puts it at $5.97 million. The city covers the rest, and the city describes the split as 80% federal and state, 20% city.
- When: Design runs through late 2027. Construction is expected to start in mid-2028 and take about a year.
- Who's designing it: Indy DPW, with the Indianapolis architecture firm Browning Day
What the designs look like
DPW and Browning Day showed two bridge looks and two plaza options for public feedback. Both plaza options add a gathering spot at the bridge.
- Bridge concept A uses perforated metal panels printed with Castleton history, including a train, the old Castleton depot and Castleton High School.
- Bridge concept B uses a geometric pattern that throws shifting shadows onto the trail as the sun moves.
- Plaza option A has a colorful shade canopy over a central art piece with seating around it.
- Plaza option B is a play plaza with a slide, a small synthetic-turf mound and climbing features.
A circular ramp would gradually lift people walking and biking up to the bridge, WTHR reported. Coverage describes the color palette as orange, green and turquoise, inspired by the Nickel Plate Trail logo. The full concept drawings are on the city's project page.
Drew Braley of Browning Day told WTHR the aim was a design that's interesting but also cost-effective and easy to maintain. DPW spokesperson Harrison Rice said funders saw the bridge as necessary for the community, calling it "a generational investment."
Why 82nd Street needs a bridge
The Nickel Plate in Indianapolis follows about 90% of the old rail line. Crews removed the old tracks across 82nd Street, between Craig Street and Castleton Road, in spring 2025. At the time, the city said the plan was to put a bridge there when money became available.
The city began looking for federal money for bridges at both 82nd Street and Keystone Avenue in fall 2023, when trail construction started. The IMPO awarded the 82nd Street bridge $5.9 million in federal funding in February 2025, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported. That award came as the City-County Council pushed its Vision Zero goal of eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
Cyclist Pat Garvey told WRTV he likes that the city is "making them into community greenspaces including the artwork."
What this means if you ride from Fishers
The bridge over 96th Street opened on Feb. 27, 2026. 96th Street is the Fishers-Indianapolis border, so the bridge carries the trail across the line.
South of there, three things still slow the ride to the Monon.
- The I-465/I-69 gap. As of Nov. 3, the trail is still closed between 75th and 82nd streets while INDOT rebuilds the I-465/I-69 interchange as part of the Clear Path 465 project. INDOT's project FAQ says the rebuilt section is expected to open in fall 2026, and Greater Indy Trailways says the work is scheduled to finish at the end of 2026. No reopening date has been announced. Until then, the trail picks back up just north of 75th Street and Binford Boulevard at Knue Road.
- The 82nd Street crossing. It stays at street level until the new bridge opens, likely in 2029 if construction starts on schedule.
- Keystone Avenue. A separate trail bridge over Keystone is also funded and in design, and construction is expected to start in 2027.
Once the interchange stretch reopens, you'll be able to ride from Fishers to the Monon Trail at 42nd Street, with street-level crossings at 82nd Street and Keystone. By about 2029, both of those should be bridges.
The trail is open 24 hours in Marion County but only dawn to dusk in Hamilton County, so plan return trips accordingly. Heading north? The trail runs right through Fishers' Nickel Plate District.
What happens next
The bridge is still in design. DPW used the October meeting to collect feedback on the concepts. The city's project page has the concept drawings and the meeting handout. It doesn't list a public survey. Questions go to DPW at DPW.Communications@indy.gov or 317-327-4000.
We'll update this story when DPW picks a final design.
How we reported this
This explainer draws on the City of Indianapolis project page, DPW's Oct. 27, 2026 meeting handout and Browning Day's concept packet, plus coverage of the meeting by WTHR, WRTV and Mirror Indy. For funding history, we used the Indianapolis Business Journal. We also used INDOT's Clear Path 465 project FAQ, the Greater Indy Trailways trail listing, Current and the Hamilton County Reporter. All of it was checked on Nov. 3, 2026.
Want Fishers news like this every week? Sign up for the Get Fishers newsletter.
