Earthmovers, bulldozers, workers, and equipment are bustling along the first segment of the Legacy Trail extension, which saw the start of construction in September. Another construction operation is poised to begin work on the second and third segments of the extension this month. So much progress is being made, in fact, that county officials estimate that the surface levels of the Legacy Trail extension could be available by the end of 2021 — a whole year ahead of the latest schedule.
Segment 1 extends from Proctor Road to Bahia Vista Street, segment 2 extends from Culverhouse Nature Park to Proctor Road, and segment 3 goes from Bahia Vista Street to Ringling Boulevard (see news below on plans for protected bike lanes along Ringling Boulevard).
Back in 2018, when the bond referendum in support of the extension passed, the original schedule was for construction to be completed prior to the end of 2024. The schedule then improved when a decision was made to focus on surface-level improvements only, not including the bridge overpasses on Clark Road and Bee Ridge Road. This moved the completion date to the end of 2022. Now, given the rate of progress, the Legacy Trail extension may be complete by the end of 2021. Construction on the bridge overpasses are not expected to begin until 2024.
In related news, the trailheads at Webber Street, Ashton Road, and Pompano Avenue are being developed concurrently and will eventually fill out, to varying degrees at each location, with paved parking lots, restrooms, picnic shelters, bike repair stations, lawns, places for food trucks, and even a pickleball court. “Small parks, in reality,” said Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Manager Jon Robinson. While the majority of the trailhead infrastructure and amenities are covered by the bond referendum that passed in the 2018 election, other funding sources have come in to create further enhancements, like the pickleball court. Decisions on the amenities stem from community input that took place at the public planning meetings last year.In related news, permits are in hand for the development of public restrooms at Culverhouse Nature Park, and public restrooms at Osprey Junction Trailhead will be built late next year. All in all, the community can look forward to a five-star recreational experience along the Legacy Trail.
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