Westfield rushing construction of trail tunnel at 161st Street crossing of Monon Trail

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Construction for a trail tunnel at the intersection of 161st Street crossing of the Monon Trail is being rushed by the city of Westfield.

The city says they anticipated with the U.S. 31 project that they would need to one day make the trail crossing underground. Currently, there is a tunnel buried there as part of the highway project. Now, the city is wanting to activate those plans.

The city says the volume of traffic along 161st Street is increasing, as well as the number of people who use the trail.

While there are warning signs and flashing lights to indicate to both drivers and trail users to pay attention, not everyone follows the law.

Stephanie Woods,32, was running on July 11 and got hit by an SUV where the trail crosses the road. Woods suffered non-life threatening injuries.

“We do everything in our power and our part as the city and local government to have those safety features and those safety messages,” Westfield Chief of Staff, Todd Burton said. “But ultimately, it’s up to us as individuals, as users of the road and the trail system to give that respect and look out for one another.”

The city says they’ve heard many complaints over the years about the crossing, mainly due to the line of sight and change in the grade of the road.

Construction is expected to cost more than $5 million.

Other future plans call for 161st Street to become four lanes with a grassy median.