Cyclists cheer Venice's Legacy Trail Overpass
By Thomas Becnel
Published: Friday, November 4, 2011 at 4:44 p.m.
Local cyclists will celebrate the final link of the Legacy Trail today, but many have already ridden over the pedestrian bridge that crosses the U.S. 41 Bypass.
“It's an exhilarating feeling,” says Monty Andrews, a 72-year-old cyclist. “I think it's going to be a great gateway to the city of Venice.”
The Friends of the Legacy Trail will host a grand opening from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Venice Train Depot. There will be free food and drinks, along with more than 20 health and wellness exhibits. Cyclists who ride over the bypass bridge will receive a souvenir medal on a ribbon.
The Mediterranean-style overpass, a $3.1 million project, was built with federal stimulus funds approved in 2009. The bridge is 12 feet wide, 18 feet tall and 900 feet long.
Mike Gippert, president of the Legacy friends, jokes that at first he underestimated the task of pedaling across the span.
“It's not easy,” he says, laughing. “You really have to have some momentum.”
Local cyclists will happily climb that hill; it beats waiting at a stoplight on U.S. 41.
David Reynolds moved his cycling shop, Real Bikes, to be closer to the Legacy Trail. He can see the bypass bridge from his back door.
“We're super-excited,” Reynolds said. “We've seen a bunch of traffic. Basically, everybody who's come into the store over the last month has talked about the bridge.”
The overpass will help link the 10-mile Legacy Trail with the Venetian Waterway Park. Cyclists will be able to ride about 15 miles from Palmer Ranch in south Sarasota all the way to Caspersen Beach in Venice.
Ed Wolfenbarger, a naturalist at Shamrock Park, thinks cyclists will enjoy the view and the convenience of the bypass bridge.
“The Great Connection, we call it,” he says. “When you're on top of it, it looks a lot higher than when you're on the ground.”
