Pinellas Trail North Gap Project

PID #000967A

The construction of the North Gap trail project is scheduled to be complete by Fall 2022. Some trail segments may be opened sooner. A trail segment will be considered complete when all components within the segment are finished and safe for public use.

Overview

The Pinellas Trail Loop is a 75-mile regional trail network that provides Pinellas County residents and visitors with an additional safe, reliable and affordable transportation option for recreation and access to many county amenities. When complete, the Loop will be a continuous multi-use pathway stretching from Tarpon Springs to
St. Petersburg, with connections to Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Largo, Seminole, South Pasadena and Gulfport. 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 the width of Florida.

Background

The Pinellas Trail first opened in 1990 on an abandoned railroad line. Since then, the 15-foot-wide trail has been extended across the county to create a unique urban pedestrian and bicycle connector to our communities. The Pinellas Trail has been hailed as a priceless haven in a busy, urbanized environment and has won numerous awards including:

Inducted into the National Rails to Trails Hall of Fame
Two-time winner of the Best Trail of Florida award from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Office of Greenways and Trails

Project Description

There are two remaining gaps in the Loop, referred to as the North Gap and the South Gap (see Figure 1 above, right). The Pinellas Trail North Gap project 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 many residential neighborhoods, commercial centers and recreational facilities, including John Chesnut Sr. Park, Westfield Countryside Mall and the Countryside Community Park.

The project will generally 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 (ADA) and safety standards.

Project Funding

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

Questions and comments can be submitted by visiting the Contact Us page.