Trends Winter 2012 | Page 11

Highly accessible Large pedestrian bridge over urban road completed quickly using design-build team by Kate Boupha N ot far from the crowds and chaos of touristladen Orlando, Florida, Seminole County offers something different: the scenic, quiet beauty of Central Florida. Recognizing the natural attraction of the area, County officials invested in building and connecting recreational trails throughout the County in the late 1990s. Most recently, the Red Bug Lake Road Overpass tied two major pieces of the Cross Seminole Trail together in the City of Oviedo, creating 25 miles of safe, continuous recreational travel. Seminole County developed a master plan in 1996 to build the Cross Seminole Trail. “Piece by piece, we’ve been putting it together,” said David Martin, professional engineer with the County’s Engineering Division, Public Works Department. “There was a need for an overpass at Red Bug Lake Road because the busy intersection is difficult to cross. It was just a matter of timing and funding.” Creating a safer crossing over Red Bug Lake Road was important to the County. Before this project, trail users had their smooth, pleasant experience of a nature trail halted abruptly by eight lanes of heavy traffic at the intersection of Red Bug Lake Road and State Road 426 (Aloma Avenue). The TRENDS │11