Photo by:laurastark
By Mark Baratelli
Approval for funding of a 2.1 mile portion of the 32 mile Shingle Creek Regional Trail project running from Sand Lake Road to Oak Ridge Road goes before City Council for final approval February 26th. Construction is set to start April 3, 2018 and be completed by August 25, 2019.
The total construction cost of that 2.1 mile stretch between Oak Ridge Road and Sand Lake Road will be $4,653,650, with $1,068,05 coming from local funds and $3,585,600 from federal funds. Construction Engineering and Inspection Costs will be paid for with $464,400 in federal funds.
This is all made possible through what's called a Local Agency Program Agreement. The Local Agency Program Agreement is required to receive reimbursement of grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
This 2.1 mile portion will include a 12 to 14-foot wide six inch deep concrete multi-use trail, three pedestrian bridges, two pedestrian overlooks, landscaping, fencing, pedestrian guide railing, gravity walls, minor drainage improvements, sod installation, and striping.
Local funds will cover a CCTV system, colored concrete, solar trash receptacles, a plaque, public art floor panels and the difference in cost between 4-inch concrete and 6-inch concrete thickness. Local funds will also cover the cost of and execute the following maintenance tasks: watering, fertilizing, mulching, weeding, mowing, pruning and dead plant removing.
Any portion of or the entire trail may be removed, relocated or adjusted by the Department if the adjacent state road needs to be widened.
In April of 2011, President Obama launched America’s Great Outdoors initiative that saw the Department of the Interior selecting the Shingle Creek Trail to receive national recognition in a document titled “America’s Great Outdoors Fifty State Report.”
When completed, it will total 32 miles and be part of a larger trail network that will reach from Kissimmee to Wekiva Springs State Park. The Shingle Creek Regional Trail will eventually be part of a network that ultimately will be part of the planned 200-mile Central Florida Loop and 250-mile Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail (See Detailed Map).
The Shingle Creek Regional Trail is a joint project involving participation by Orange County, Osceola County, City of Orlando, and City of Kissimmee.