A $2 million project that began in early October to interconnect nine miles of a planned Greenway Trail in southwest Miami-Dade will create a continuing biking and pedestrian path from Biscayne Bay to West Kendall.
The three-phase project will expand the existing 30-year-old Black Creek Trail to a 17-mile route connecting Black Point Park and Marina with the future West Kendall District Park and an existing Krome Trail near the L-21N Canal.
Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department initiated Phase I construction for the continuing bike and pedestrian pathway with $2,080,995 funding from a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) grant and the BBC (Building Better Communities) bond issue. Completion is expected in mid-October 2015 by JVA Engineering Contractor Inc. in conjunction with the Parks Department Design and Build Team; Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., design consultants; Matthew Gibson PE, engineer on record, and Stewart Robertson PE, consultant project manager.
When complete, the Greenway Trail will connect the existing South Dade, Old Cutler and Biscayne Trails as well as area parks and preserves, tying into a larger 27-mile network near Biscayne Bay winding through six municipalities and extending as far north as Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne.
Expansion of Black Creek Trail is the second of two major Miami-Dade Greenway Trail projects to begin in 2012 following a July groundbreaking for 3.4 miles of improvements to Snake Creek Trail in North Miami Beach expected to be completed in 2013.
Black Creek Trail and other county park trails and park links are planned as part the East Coast Greenway Corridor, a 2,500- mile off-road and traffic-free trail, opening long-distance hiking and biking in Florida’s East Coast cities from the Florida Keys to the coast of Maine.
Phase I of three expanding Black Creek Trail takes advantage of existing biking and pedestrian trails and linear park facilities to open a continuous trail to the 164- acre District Park planned off SW 157th Avenue north of 120th Street.
The initial phase will widen and resurface an existing four miles of paved trail and add more than five miles of additional new trails in gaps not connected for bikers and walkers between Black Point Park and Marina and SW 97th Avenue.
Phase II improves the trail between Larry and Penny Thompson Park to SW 127th Avenue, with a new trail segment between 137th Avenue to SW 184th Street.
Phase III from SW 127th Avenue to SW 97th Avenue includes widening an existing trail from SW 127 Avenue to US1 and a new trail segment between US1 and SW 112th Avenue and a new 12-foot wide bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Black Creek Canal on the east side of US1.
The final phase also opens a new trail segment between SW 216th Street and SW 97th Avenue, as well as creating new rest areas with small shelters, bike racks and trash receptacles.
“This is an exciting project that will seamlessly link the trail to other parks, sidewalks and bicycle trails,” said parks director Jack Kardys.
“It provides residents with alternative routes to access our parks and will help improve the overall quality of life in this community,” he added.
“The Parks Department is effectively connecting communities together for the enjoyment of our residents and the overall improvement of the districts that Commissioner Dennis Moss and I represent,” said District 8 Commissioner Lynda Bell
Added District 9 Commissioner Moss: “By commuting this way, families enjoy more fun, free outings and the bonus of having a little more money in their pockets, reducing automobile use and gasoline expense, as well.”
The Black Creek Trail improvement is planned as a “linear park” defined in parks’ terminology as a narrow, landscaped strip of land), including a 10-foot wide trail for shared use by walkers, inline skaters, cyclists and other nonmotorized uses, including ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) motorized devices.
For more information about the Black Creek Trail development, contact Adelfa Martinez, parks project manager, at 305- 755-7815.
