Courtney Campbell Trail repairs could be finished by summer

TAMPA - Laura Cardona, Sandra Martinez and Hernan Arias ride 30 miles on the Courtney Campbell Trail every Tuesday and Thursday.

"It’s very important to practice during the week," Cardona said.

"We got to the other side and back twice," Arias said.

They race competitively in events across the country with a bicyclist club out of Tampa. The trail they rely on to train, though, took a beating from Hurricane Idalia.

"A lot of part of the trail was destroyed," Arias said. "It was a problem. We had to go to different places. We had to drive far because we live very close to here, so we had to drive very far to train during the week."

They had to practice in a different area for a few weeks. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) started a $1.5 million improvement project to fix the trail between the Courtney Campbell Beach and the Ben T. Davis Beach in January. Maintenance includes asphalt repair work in several locations, guardrail replacement work and replacing sections of the curbs and sidewalks.

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Cardona, Martinez and Arias said they’re grateful for the repairs that are scheduled to wrap up by the summer.

"It’s much better," Arias said. "They’re working on it."

The main pedestrian bridge on the trail will be closed from May 6-17 for soil stabilization. FDOT asks if you’re using the trail, be careful and pay attention to signs that let you know what parts of the trail are open to the public, and what is closed for repairs.

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