Town of Munster Indiana

Munster to Highland Pedestrian Bridges Groundbreaking

The Towns of Highland and Munster joined together on Friday, September 5, 2025 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited ‘bridges over ditches’ project. This pedestrian pathway will extend the Fisher Street trail which begins at the Pennsy Greenway near the Illinois/Indiana state line east into Highland through the NIPSCO hi-tension wire/multiple pipeline corridor. It will include two bridges to cross over Hart Ditch and Cady-Marsh Ditch to connect the Fisher Street trail to Brantwood Park in Highland. As part of the project, a new paved trail will run from between the two ditches south to Martha Street providing better access for those areas of Highland and Munster.

The Indiana Department of Transportation awarded the project in May 2025 to Gariup Construction Company Inc. from Gary, Indiana at a cost of just under $1.8 million. The project is being funded thanks to a Transportation Enhancement award from the State of Indiana which is covering 80% of the project leaving the Towns of Highland and Munster to equally split the 20% local match for the project. 

Special thanks to the many groups that are helping to make the project possible including Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, NIPSCO, Lake County Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr., Lake County Drainage Board, Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, the Town of Highland, and the Town of Munster. This project, which has been envisioned for 25+ years, will begin this fall and is expected to be completed by summer 2026. 

Shown in the attached picture representing the Town of Munster (left to right): 

Mark Heintz, Town of Munster Director of Parks and Recreation
Chuck Gardiner, Town of Munster Town Council
Mike Andrade, Indiana State Representative
James Marino, Town of Munster Town Manager
George Shinkan, Town of Munster Town Council
Wendy Mis, Town of Munster Clerk-Treasurer
Dave Nellans, Town of Munster Town Council
Patricia Abbott, Town of Munster Controller
Jose Gutierrez, Town of Munster Park Board
Dan Repay, Town of Munster Park Board

Photo credit: Ben Tomera

Associated Documents

Bridges Over Ditches Map

• Bridges Over Ditches Map