(AUBURN) -- A major regional effort is gaining momentum to complete one of Indiana's longest multi-use trail systems. Officials from four counties and seven cities and towns -- along with private donors and grassroots supporters -- are pushing to finish the 82-mile Poka-Bache Connector stretching from Pokagon State Park in Steuben County to Ouabache State Park in Wells County. Right now, just under 40 miles are finished. The rest is in design, construction, or still in need of funding. This week, the Poka-Bache Connector Trail Task Force hosted a round-table at Kruse Plaza in Auburn, bringing together more than 30 elected leaders for an update on progress and a call for more financial support. Engineers from BF&S sponsored the discussion. Task force members highlighted a new Impact Report showing the trail already generates nearly $7 million a year in economic activity -- and once complete, it will link 140 parks and recreation sites, 10 libraries, and 50 schools along the corridor. The trail supports tourism, recreation, transportation, and overall community health. Since 2021, more than $38 million in federal, state, local and private dollars have been committed:
-- Allen County: $24.1 million
-- Steuben County: $7 million
-- DeKalb County: $6.7 million
-- Wells County: just under $1 million
As of September, the trail logged over 280,000 uses a year, with ridership more than doubling since 2016.
Several major projects are also on the horizon. Fort Wayne and Fort Wayne Trails secured $5 million for the Vann Family Crossing -- a pedestrian bridge over Coliseum Boulevard set for construction in 2026. DeKalb County Trails landed a $5 million Lilly Foundation grant to build and renovate more than six miles of trail near Auburn. And in 2026, Steuben County Trails and the City of Angola will extend their system south toward Pleasant Lake along Old U.S. 27.