County Works On North Gap Portion Of Pinellas Trail

CLEARWATER, FL — Three decades in the making, Pinellas County Government Public Works is working on the last of two gaps in the Pinellas Trail, a multi-use pathway that stretches from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg with connections to Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, South Pasadena and Gulfport.

When complete, the Pinellas Trail will be a continuous 75-mile trail loop that offers Pinellas County residents a safe transportation alternative and provides access to employment, shopping, schools and recreation centers.

The loop will also provide regional connections to Hillsborough and Pasco County trail networks, and link to the western end of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Connector Trail, a 250-mile multi-use trail that will cross Florida.

Most of the Pinellas Trail has been completed, however, two significant gaps remain under construction — the North Gap and the South Gap.

Pinellas County Government

Public works is now working on a portion of the North Gap that extends 6.8 miles from John Chesnut Sr. Park to the Duke Energy Trailhead at Enterprise Road in Clearwater. Along the way, this segment will offer users access to residential neighborhoods, commercial centers and recreational facilities, including John Chesnut Sr. Park, Westfield Countryside Mall and the Countryside Community Park.

The north segment will consist of a paved 12-foot-wide surface with 2-foot-wide unpaved shoulders on both sides. However, in a few areas, the trail width will transition to an 8-foot paved surface due to property restrictions. The trail will be designed and constructed to meet all federal and state Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and safety standards.

Once completed near the end of the year, this path between Sunset Point Road and Northeast Coachman Road in Clearwater will complete the south-end segment of the Pinellas Trail North Gap.

The Pinellas Trail first opened in 1990 on an abandoned railroad line.

The Pinellas Trail Loop North Gap is being funded through a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation with additional funding from the Penny for Pinellas tax.