MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Martin County and the Florida Department of Transportation are planning to extend a popular section of the East Coast Greenway Trail, creating a safer connection between Seabranch Preserve State Park and Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound.
WATCH BELOW: Martin County to extend this popular trail connecting state parks
The extension will add significant mileage to the existing trail system, which currently offers just over a mile of the 3,000-plus-mile East Coast Greenway that stretches from Maine to Florida.
"This project will make connections of what the alignment that's already been established for the East Coast Greenway through Martin County," said Beth Beltran with Martin County's Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The extension will be constructed in two sections: one from Osprey Street to Bridge Road, and another from Bridge Road to the Hobe Sound Wildlife Refuge. The new pathway will be 10 to 12 feet wide and separated from vehicle traffic, providing a safer gateway to experience the nature Florida has to offer.
"People will have a facility that they can ride their bike on and jog on and walk on and ride their scooter on, and it will be separated from the cars," Beltran said.
The project aims to provide safer access to Florida's natural areas while accommodating the growing number of people using bicycles for recreation and commuting.
"More and more people are choosing to ride their bikes, not only for recreation, but also for commuting and for free time. You know, they want to ride their bikes to go get a cup of coffee or to go get dinner, and this will provide a safe facility for them to do so," Beltran said.
It’s welcome news for Christina Pasquino.
She was running the existing trail at Seabranch Preserve Park for the first time on Monday.
"This is something that we really don't have a lot in South Florida," Pasquino said. "I would hope that this extension would really, you know, inspire and motivate more people to get out and enjoy the, really, the beauty that is Florida."
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
