By Brian McBride

Associate Editor

The city of Kissimmee is on the cusp of securing land to build a pedestrian bridge spanning John Young Parkway, a feature that is part of a master plan for bike and walking trails throughout the municipality.

The bridge, which would be built over the parkway just north of the intersection of John Young Parkway and Columbia Avenue and near the Publix supermarket, 1910 N. John Young Parkway, could look similar to the one in Lake Mary over Interstate 4 and connects the Cross Seminole Trail, Kissimmee Public Works and Engineering Director Dave Derrick said.

“That’s at least the concept for now,” Derrick said.

The city should be able to secure the right of way within 30 days, city officials said. The design phase has to begin by July 1, a stipulation of the Florida Department of Transportation, which is kicking in $5 million for the project. But the concept plan is already 30 percent complete, Assistant Director Jim Arsenalt said.

“We’re actually ahead of the game,” Arsenalt said.

The concept design work should cost about $200,000, city officials said.

Circular ramps on both sides of the parkway, according to a design, lead up to the bridge to make it more “aesthetically pleasing,” Derrick said, and would likely have a gateway arch similar to the one at the intersection of Main and Vine streets that welcomes motorists to downtown Kissimmee. It will span more than 100 feet across the parkway and be about 18 to 20 feet high.

The state money is budgeted for the project in July of 2011. That’s when the city will have to seek bids for the construction work, which is expected to take 6 to 9 months to complete, Arsenalt said.

It’s part of an off-road trail that was completed several years ago in the northern part of the city. The trail starts at John Young Parkway, just north of the plaza at Columbia Avenue, goes west past Hoagland Boulevard where it meets up with Shingle Creek. The overpass will allow the trail to extend past the parkway eastward and then southward to Central Avenue.

“This will provide another way to get to work or just a leisurely walk or ride with family members,” Derrick said.

It’s also part of a city master plan for pedestrian and bike paths throughout the city. Included in that plan is a bike lane that was included in phase 2 of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard road project, which extends west from John Young Parkway to Thacker Avenue. Phase 3 will extend the road to Dyer Boulevard, but the bike path will continue west along the old railroad tracks, past Hoagland Boulevard. It eventually will tie into the Shingle Creek path, just south of Steffee Landing.