The Courtney Campbell Causeway connecting Tampa and Clearwater is undergoing resurfacing improvements and enhancements, including the addition of new pedestrian and bicycle trails physically separated from the road.
The overall $23 million project along State Road 60 is being built by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), FDOT received $14.6 million in federal funding, which is dedicated for walking and biking infrastructure, to build the nine-mile trail.
A 12-foot-wide, multiuse pedestrian trail on the south side of the Causeway is expected to be completed in October 2013. The north side of the Causeway will host a five-foot sidewalk, which is scheduled to open in 2014.
"The idea for the trail was generated by the
Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway Corridor Advisory Committee," says Michelle Ogilvie of the
Hillsborough Planning Commission. "The committee worked with the local Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and FDOT toward producing a feasibility study for the trail concept in 2008."
The sea level Courtney Campbell Causeway received the
Scenic Highway Corridor Designation in 2005. It provides a picturesque and vital link across the body of water called Old Tampa Bay.
"It’s our brand, our identity and the trail will provide a safe place to enjoy this link," says Ogilvie. "The trail will strengthen the relationship between the counties, ecotourism will expand, and the trail will help forge a regional identity and economy."
The Courtney Campbell Trail will connect existing trail developments on both sides of the Bay, serving as a resource to the region.
Writer:
Taryn Sabia
Source: Michelle Ogilvie.
Hillsborough Planning Commission
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