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Entrance to the Land Bridge from Land Bridge Trailhead

Cross Florida Greenway History | The Land Bridge

A landmark along Interstate 75 near Ocala, the Land Bridge remains one of the more popular destinations for hikers, bikers, and equestrians on the Cross Florida Greenway.

December 22, 2012    Sandra Friend

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Entrance to the Land Bridge from Land Bridge Trailhead
Entrance to the Land Bridge from Land Bridge Trailhead

It’s been an iconic landmark along Interstate 75 for more than a decade. Built in 1999-2000, the Cross Florida Greenway Land Bridge was the first true land bridge in the United States, modeled after a design used in the Netherlands. At its core, it’s a giant planter, with 87-ton beams stretching 2,000 feet across I-75 to hold soil, rock, trees, native plants, and a watering system in a thousand-ton cradle of concrete and steel.

As our Florida Trail Association trail crew, headed up by Kenneth Smith, was building the hiking trails that would eventually connect across the Land Bridge, I had the opportunity to watch the construction of the bridge and take photos.

Approaching construction from west, 1999
Approaching construction from west, 1999
Construction from west side, 1999
Construction from west side, 1999
The giant planter, 1999
The giant planter, 1999
Surface in place, Spring 2000
Surface in place, Spring 2000
View from west side, Spring 2000
View from west side, Spring 2000

When the bridge was complete, I was honored (thanks to Kenneth) to be the hiker who, along with a mountain biker and equestrian, cut the green ribbon to open the bridge to public use after the special dedication ceremony on National Trails Day, June 2000.

Green ribbon, National Trails Day 2000
Green ribbon, National Trails Day 2000
View from the Land Bridge, June 2000
View from the Land Bridge, June 2000

The Land Bridge was where all of our trails came together to cross I-75. While the bridge was built primarily for recreation, it also serves as a crossing for wildlife, too. Both myself and other hikers have seen a Florida panther in this area, with sightings on both sides of the bridge. More typically, small mammals like raccoons, opossum, and armadillo cross the bridge.

Over the years, I’ve watched the planted trees and saw palmetto struggle until they finally took root and began, with proper watering, to flourish in this giant planter. The native limestone used for the bridge has aged nicely.

Equestrians on the east approach, 2004
Equestrians on the east approach, 2004

The Land Bridge remains one of the more popular destinations for hikers, bikers, and equestrians on the Cross Florida Greenway. It’s rare to arrive there and find yourself alone, especially on weekends.

Atop the Land Bridge, 2006
Atop the Land Bridge, 2006

It’s not that the view of I-75 traffic is a thrill, but it is a thrill, after driving beneath the bridge for years and years, to set foot on it for the first time. John had that opportunity when we hiked the Land Bridge Loop recently.

Atop the Land Bridge, 2007 (Diane Dammiller)
Atop the Land Bridge, 2007 (Diane Dammiller)

The 3.5-mile Land Bridge Loop evolved from a relocation of the original route of the Florida Trail. Before the nice big Land Bridge Trailhead was built, the original trailhead for the Greenway was located south about a mile and a half. The original fenced parking area is still there, with blue-blazed equestrian trail leading to it and a new underpass for the equestrian trail just north of it. This was the first of several relocations of the Florida Trail on the Greenway to move it out of the “equestrian zone” and into the “hiking zone.”

Atop the Land Bridge, 2009
Atop the Land Bridge, 2009

In general, the Cross Florida Greenway is a mile across and has been zoned that mountain bike trails are to the north, equestrian trails to the south, and hiking trails in the middle. If you’ve hiked any part of the Florida Trail in recent times, you know that there are many trail intersections with both types of trails. I’m not sure if the zoning concept hasn’t been carried forward over the years, or if these are places where the Greenway narrows so tightly that trail systems keep crossing each other.

Atop the Land Bridge, 2012
Atop the Land Bridge, 2012

But back in 2000, when the Cross Florida Greenway was officially dedicated, it – and the three user groups dedicated to building trails on it – received a  National Trail Award from the National Trails Symposium to commemorate “Outstanding Trail Sharing.”

Looking down on traffic, December 2012
Looking down on traffic, December 2012

Additional Resources
Hiking 49th Ave Trailhead to Land Bridge Trailhead
Hikes on the Cross Florida Greenway
Florida Trail on the Cross Florida Greenway
Bridge to the Future (2001 article on the Land Bridge)

Category: Articles, Hiking, HistoryTag: Belleview, Cross Florida Greenway, Florida State Parks, Florida Trail, FT Cross Florida Greenway, FT Western Corridor, Ocala

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