Sentinel staff report–
Lane closures on Sunrise Boulevard between Greenback Lane and Highland Avenue have been occurring over the past week, as contractors perform work in the roadway related to a future 2.9-mile trail traveling through the city.
City Spokeswoman Nichole Baxter said in an email Wednesday that crews working in the area are with Comcast and Verizon. She also provided information from City Engineer Leslie Blomquist who said the work involves undergrounding overhead lines in preparation for connecting the Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail, which will cross Sunrise Boulevard and conclude at the Arcade Creek Park Preserve.
“By undergrounding here, we are able to remove 2 wooden utility poles on Sunrise, eliminating this impediment to ADA, reducing crash potential, and making room for our future trail,” Blomquist said.
The city anticipates work will continue through this week, with the pavement restoration occurring next week.
As previously reported, the new multi-use trail will begin near Wachtel Way and connect multiple parks, schools and residential areas in the northeastern part of the city. The trail, formerly known as the Electric Greenway Trail Project, will utilize more than $6 million in grant funding, with plans to begin construction later this year.
The project also includes a new signalized crossing on Fair Oaks Boulevard, pathway lighting, sidewalk and curb installation on a portion of Oak Avenue, drainage and landscaping improvements, as well as traffic signal modifications.
According to a city flier, funding for the roughly $7 million project largely comes from a $6.2 million Active Transportation Program grant, a state program which receives $100 million annually from the SB1 gas tax. ATP grants are restricted and must go towards projects that result in more “active” transportation modes like walking and biking. The city says none of the funding will come from its general fund.
