Runners, cyclists and walkers who use the Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail in Clearwater will need to find a detour starting the week of Sept. 20.

The trail segment between Bayshore Boulevard and Kiran C. Patel Boulevard is expected to close for about two weeks, weather permitting, so crews can install a new canopy and bike racks at the pedestrian overpass on Gulf to Bay Boulevard. Bay News 9 reported the closure beginning the week of Sept. 20.

The overpass is the centerpiece of a $15.3 million project led by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the City of Clearwater. It will carry pedestrians and cyclists over six lanes of State Road 60, where the speed limit is 50 mph, eliminating a crossing that has long concerned trail users.

"The less interaction you have between the pedestrians and the bikers and vehicles, the better," Jacob Coates, a regular trail runner, told Bay News 9 on Sept. 19.

Zep Construction, Inc. is the contractor. Construction began Jan. 12, 2025, and spans 0.4 miles, according to the city's project page. The full project is expected to wrap by the end of 2026.

FDOT Digital Media Manager Kayla Mejia said funding came from state, federal and City of Clearwater sources. Mejia said the agency worked closely with the city on the design, describing the planned look as an artistic view. The project's design firm said the overpass structure was tested in a wind tunnel to withstand severe weather.

The overpass connects the north-south Bayshore Trail to the east-west Courtney Campbell Trail, an 8- to 12-foot-wide paved path running along the southern side of the Courtney Campbell Causeway between Clearwater and Tampa. In February, FDOT Pinellas Operations Engineer Julie Ostoski told 83 Degrees Media the project was about 55 percent complete at that time.

FDOT District Seven Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Jensen Hackett said in February that while no serious injuries or fatalities involving cyclists had been recorded at the SR 60 crossing, the six-lane, 50-mph crossing is considered unsafe for some recreational users.

No specific start or end date for the two-week closure has been announced. FDOT plans to post updates on its Tampa Bay project page.