More Pinellas County trails to come

St. Petersburg Times editor Jim Verhulst pauses on a recent Tuesday at one of his favorite Pinellas Trail spots — where the Tropicana Field parking lot opens up to a bridge that spans Booker Creek.

By Mariana Minaya, Times Staff Writer
In print: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Pinellas County plans to add about 125 miles of bike paths to make the county safer and more economical for cyclists.

Two segments of a bike trail that will run around the county recently have been finished, and in the next 10 years the entire loop will be done. Eventually the county intends to have a 200-mile network of trails that will connect key points in the county.

Here's a look at the recent work and some of what is planned.

Downtown extension

One of the most recent additions to the loop is the downtown extension from 34th Street S to the St. Petersburg waterfront.

It is already in use, but the official opening will be next month.

Progress Energy Trail

Construction on one portion of the Progress Energy Trail, which is the eastern side of the loop, was finished last month.

That section begins on Belleair Road in mid county and runs north to Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater.

The entire 20-mile length of the Progress Energy Trail will start at Weedon Island in St. Petersburg, run north diagonally across the county and end at Tampa Road, north of Dunedin. Plans call for it to be finished in 10 years.

North, South Bay Trails

In the next 90 days, construction will begin on a section of the South Bay Trail called Clam Bayou Trail.

It will intersect with the Pinellas Trail at about 40th Street S in St. Petersburg and head south to the Sunshine Skyway.

It will take five years to complete and cost $4.5-million in federal, state and city funds.

The North Bay Trail is in the design stage. Construction is to begin within the year. It will run from Demens Landing, where the downtown extension ends, north to the Gandy Bridge. It is to be completed in five years and will cost about $6.5-million in federal, state, county and city funds.

Read more about the push to finish the Upper Tampa Bay Trail here.