Lakeland prepares to begin construction on Three Parks Trail's final section near YMCA

Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger
·2 min read
Lakeland is ready to start the final leg of its Three Parks Trail, the unfinished section begins just north of the YMCA on Cleveland Heights Boulevard, then heads south to Westover Street and east to Peterson Park, connecting with the Lake to Lake Bikeway.
Lakeland is ready to start the final leg of its Three Parks Trail, the unfinished section begins just north of the YMCA on Cleveland Heights Boulevard, then heads south to Westover Street and east to Peterson Park, connecting with the Lake to Lake Bikeway.

LAKELAND ― After nearly a decade, Lakeland officials are prepared to construct the homestretch of one of the city's popular walking trails.

City commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to accept $305,200 from Florida Department of Transportation as additional revenue to construct the remaining stretch of the Three Parks Trail this year. It was part of a local-agency program signed in June 2020.

"It's an important component of the city's Lake-to-Lake Bikeway and also identified as part of the designated pathway corridor in the citywide pathways vision plan," Financial Director Mike Brossart said.

The FDOT funds will be used to extend the trail to along the perimeter of Cleveland Heights Golf Course south to the Lakeland Family YMCA, then east to Curtis Peterson Park. It's roughly a 0.6-mile stretch.

Plans call for a 10-foot wide, multipurpose path on the east side of Cleveland Heights Boulevard, connecting the current trail terminus near Robin Road with Westover Street, which runs along the south side of the YMCA.

The pathway's design was started in May 2020 with FDOT contributing $43,200 through the Local Agency Program agreement. Initially, it was estimated to take three years to complete.

Lakeland is ready to start the final leg of its Three Parks Trail, which runs from the trail's current terminus near Robin Road along Cleveland Heights Boulevard, south to Westover Street and east to Peterson Park.
Lakeland is ready to start the final leg of its Three Parks Trail, which runs from the trail's current terminus near Robin Road along Cleveland Heights Boulevard, south to Westover Street and east to Peterson Park.

Construction is now expected to begin this month and be completed in the summer. This will complete the 3.6-mile loop that connects Three Parks Trail to Peterson Park, Woodlake Park and Common Ground Park as part of a plan to expand bicycle and pedestrian pathways throughout the city.

"The nice part about this timing is that it also coordinates well with the new YMCA's work on that same area," Mayor Bill Mutz said.

The Lakeland Family YMCA announced plans last year to expand its facilities by building a new 41,000-square-foot Jenkins Field House along Cleveland Heights Boulevard and expand its existing childcare building. As part of its proposed plans, the YMCA will have to reconfigure its driveway, parking lot and allowed room for a path to connect to the Three Parks Trail.

Construction of the city's Three Parks Trail started in April 2015, with a second phase slated later in May 2015. FDOT has contributed significantly to the project over time providing $416,775 out of the estimated $560,000 initially.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland prepares to finish one of the city's popular walking trails