North Florida Roads

A new recreational opportunity will be available soon as work begins on the next section of the Palatka Lake Butler State Trail in Putnam County. The new 12-foot wide asphalt multi-use trail will extend nearly four miles along the former Norfolk-Southern Railroad corridor and mostly parallel State Road 100 on the north side of the road, between the Clay County line and County Road 315 in Grandin, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Construction signs will go up as early as Mid-May, with gopher tortoise relocation scheduled to begin followed by clearing and tree trimming to make way for construction.

The path crosses five dirt roads that will be paved 25 to 50 feet on each side of the trail: Forest Hills Road, Lake Street, Goodson Prairie Road and two unnamed roads. Putnam Loop Road, the only paved road the trail crosses, should have minimal impacts when crews are working close to the road. Flaggers will direct traffic at side roads and driveways when necessary during construction, and access will be maintained at all times.

The design/build team of APAC-Southeast, Inc/England-Thims and Miller, Inc., both of Jacksonville, was hired by the FDOT to design and build this $1.1 million project. Construction is expected to be complete within four months barring unforeseen conditions such as bad weather.

The Palatka Lake Butler State Trail is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Greenways & Trails program, and will extend nearly 47 miles, from the vicinity of State Road 238 in Lake Butler to west of U.S. 17 in Palatka.