Park commissioners approve Milestone contract for Bloomington Rail Trail Rogers Street crossing and temporary trail closure

The Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners voted to approve a service agreement with Milestone Contractors for improvements at the Rogers Street crossing of the Bloomington Rail Trail and separately approved a temporary full closure permit for the work.

The contract covers materials, labor and equipment to realign the crossing, improve pedestrian safety, and perform site restoration. The work includes installing a new streetlight, a pedestrian‑activated rapid‑flashing beacon, grading and paving the trail aprons on both sides of Rogers Street. The board approved the contract by roll call vote; the transcript records the contract amount ambiguously as “not to exceed $212,000 or $212,280,000,” and the recorded minutes did not clarify which figure is correct.

Operations and development division director Rebecca Swift told the board the work is intended to “realign the crossing to improve pedestrian safety” and that the trail will “remain an unpaid trail for the most part.” Swift said Milestone Contractors will provide all necessary materials, labor and equipment and that site restoration is included.

On the separate agenda item, the board approved a temporary full closure of the rail trail corridor needed to complete the crossing work. Swift estimated the closure will last “less than 30 days,” gave an estimated start date of Oct. 15 that she later said is “probably closer to Oct. 20,” and reported the contractor is estimating 21 calendar days of work. She also said the project will not require a full trail closure the entire time but recommended the board approve the full construction schedule as a planning assumption.

Swift described public communications and on‑site notifications: the communications manager, Julie Riggney, has drafted yard signs that include a QR code linking to a project page for updates; Swift said she expects about six yard signs at major trailheads, including the Countryside Road trailhead parking lot, and that the city will use social media (the department cited a roughly 14,000 follower reach), a press release via the mayor’s office, and site signage to notify users. Swift said there is no official detour that reroutes trail users around the closed segment.

Votes at a glance: the transcript records roll call “ayes” from Kathleen Mills, Ellen Grotke and Israel Herrera on both the contract and the trail‑closure permit; both motions were recorded as carried.

The board did not record additional formal conditions or amendments to the contract or closure permit during the meeting. After the votes the board adjourned the special meeting and moved into a work session on the parks master plan.