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Courtney Campbell officially scenic

The parkway has been named a Florida Scenic Highway and is now eligible for federal grants for upkeep and amenities.

By JANET ZINK
Published June 9, 2005

The Courtney Campbell Parkway has become an official Florida Scenic Highway.

The causeway that connects Tampa and Clearwater joins 12 other Florida roadways that are designated as scenic highways. Among them: A1A Ocean Shore Scenic Highway in Flagler County on the east coast; Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island; and the Florida Keys Scenic Highway.

Mariano Berrios, administrator of the Florida Scenic Highway Program, said roadways can be designated either for historic or visual qualities. The Courtney Campbell Parkway, he said, was chosen for its beauty.

"The views from the highway are unique to the area," he said. "It's pretty."

The designation means the highway will be included in state marketing programs. It also becomes eligible for federal grants for upkeep, picnic areas, informational kiosks and other amenities.

William Jonson, vice mayor of Clearwater and chairman of the Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway Corridor Advocacy Group, led the effort to get the designation.

"One time I was driving across the Courtney Campbell causeway and thought, "This is a scenic highway and we should get the designation.' Four years later, with the help of a lot of folks, we've achieved that," he said.

Jonson said he hopes to get grant money to complete a trail that runs parallel to the roadway so people can bike, roller blade or walk from end to end.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Transportation is working with the cities of Clearwater and Tampa to make the corridor even more scenic.

The DOT recently gave Clearwater $150,000 for landscaping on the Clearwater side. That money will be used in part for an entrance to the parkway, Jonson said.

The Tampa city parks department, using $150,000 from the DOT, will renovate plant beds on the north and south sides of the highway.

"Every little bit helps," Jonson said of the improvements. "It's already scenic, and we don't have to do very much. It has beautiful views, but we'd like to make it even more of a destination."

[Last modified June 9, 2005, 01:16:07]