ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. --  A collaboration among Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s, Holy Cross, Holladay Properties and the religious orders of the Holy Cross brothers, sisters and priests has led to the creation of a new recreational pathway on the west side of Indiana 933.

This 12-foot-wide pathway provides direct access to South Bend, Mishawaka, Niles and points in between in hopes of improving safety and mobility in the area.

Financing for the project was courtesy of nearly $900,000 Next Level Trails grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, paying for both the design and the construction.

Although this pathway has opened, further work is to be done. Plans call for lighting along the new pathway, a landscaped median on Indiana 933 and a full removal of the existing sidewalk on the west side of the highway.

The city of South Bend will soon extend the trail west, along Angela Boulevard and across the river to Riverside Trail and Portage Avenue, then along Diamond Avenue to Lincoln Way West, near Holy Cross Church and School. It will also create a 7.5-mile loop around the river between Angela Boulevard and Darden Road, and a nearly complete loop around Notre Dame.

The collaborators, under the banner of the 933 Corridor Improvement Association, will maintain the pathway, including landscaping and snow removal.

Paul Phair, partner and senior vice president of Holladay Properties explain the goal of the pathway.

“The ultimate goal is to improve this section of 933, to make it safer and to beautify it between Angela and Douglas,” said Phair.

The pathway offers a safe alternative to the existing sidewalks on 933, which hug the curb and collect snow and ice in the winter from passing plow trucks.