{"id":278420,"date":"2026-05-20T18:37:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T18:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/278420\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T18:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T18:37:27","slug":"construction-of-trail-over-courtney-campbell-almost-complete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/278420\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction of trail over Courtney Campbell almost complete"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>CLEARWATER, Fla. \u2014\u00a0Construction of a new multi-use trail over the Courtney Campbell Causeway is making some headway.<\/p>\n<p>The project will see a pedestrian and bicycle overpass built crossing over Gulf to Bay Boulevard, connecting both the Bayshore Trail and Courtney Campbell Trail. One avid cyclist is looking forward to its completion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a very, very good place to ride a bike,\u201d said cyclist Chris Welch.<\/p>\n<p>Coasting along the Courtney Campbell Trail on his bike, Welch takes in a scenic view, waves lapping along the shore and beachgoers catching some rays. Cycling views are made possible thanks to the trail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been riding for about ten years,\u201d he said. \u201cI started on the Pinellas Trail and, once I kind of learned the Pinellas Trail in other areas, it opened up opportunities to travel all throughout the county on the bike.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Welch is an avid cycling enthusiast and triathlete, having just competed in the inaugural Ironman competition in Jacksonville. He rides this trail to train. But crossing the causeway, he says, can pose a problem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is a six-lane road, high speed, heavily trafficked and I don\u2019t normally have a problem with either a crosswalk, but I could see somebody that was a beginner cyclist or maybe a senior that\u2019s on an e-bike and wanting to be active, or even young people. We don\u2019t want them taking risks,\u201d Welch said.<\/p>\n<p>To help mitigate those potential issues, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdottampabay.com\/project\/488\/437498-1-52-01\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">is building the new multi-use trail<\/a>. The project will add a pedestrian and bicycle overpass crossing over Gulf to Lake Boulevard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know how many people cross the street to get over to the causeway trail, but it could be three, four or five-hundred instances a day,\u201d said Welch. \u201cSo to remove that risk for people crossing the street, I think that\u2019s only a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A good thing, Welch says, for not only safety, but attracting new riders to the trail as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo months ago, I rode the combination of trails across the state from the St. Pete Pier to New Smyrna Beach and back over the course of three days. That was all connected by bike trails. And those three days immediately went to the top 1% of my life. It\u2019s just such a great experience to travel on a bike,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>An experience, he says, that will be made even more enjoyable once work on the overpass is finished.<\/p>\n<p>The total cost of construction on the new overpass is about $15.3 million and will span just under half a mile. Construction is expected to be completed this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CLEARWATER, Fla. \u2014\u00a0Construction of a new multi-use trail over the Courtney Campbell Causeway is making some headway. 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