AVON — The first section of the B&O Trail might be open for an upcoming race fundraiser.

Workers are installing pavement and trail nodes for the first 1,000 feet of the trail, which sits west of Raceway Road between Hendricks County Roads 200 N and 300 N near Brownsburg.

Work was originally scheduled to start last fall, but weather and paperwork delayed the installation, which trail enthusiasts hope will be ready for participants in the upcoming B&O Express 5K/10K Run, Walk and Health Fair Sept. 12.

The B&O Trail Association is in the process of purchasing another 16 miles of the abandoned rail bed in Hendricks County from CSX Corporation, said Diana Virgil, association president. Long-term plans call for the trail to run 65 miles from Tibbs Avenue in Wayne Township to Montezuma in Parke County near the Illinois border.

“We want the run to become an annual event,” Virgil said.

A $175,000 state grant will pay for the paving of about 1,000 feet west of Raceway Road. The trail also connects to the nearby Wynbrooke neighborhood.