New Rocky Creek Bridge opens with ribbon cutting on Tuesday, June 17
Hillsborough County, Fla. (June 16, 2025) - Hillsborough County is reopening parts of the popular Upper Tampa Bay Trail this week after months of extensive hurricane damage repair and opening a new bridge over Rocky Creek.
Parts of the trail have been closed since Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged a bridge and eroded land near the trail along Channel A. The Wilsky Trailhead also will reopen next week, helping trail users access the 7.5-mile section of the multiuse pathway.
Hillsborough is celebrating the opening of the newly completed Rocky Creek Bridge with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 17. The new bridge replaces a more than 100-year-old bridge that connected the trail until inspections deemed it unstable in 2024.
The Rocky Creek Bridge construction is complete about six months ahead of schedule. The replacement project was expedited due to the trail's importance to the community after structural deficiencies were identified in the old bridge. The new bridge is 12 feet wide, matching the width of the approaches, and can accommodate emergency vehicles to make the trail safer for all users.
Other trail repairs, including rebuilding eroded canal banks near where the trail crosses Channel A just south of Linebaugh Avenue, are scheduled for completion in 2026. In the interim, fencing has been installed along these areas to ensure public safety, while still allowing users to have full trail access.
The total Upper Tampa Bay Trail is 11.45 miles of paved multiuse trail in two sections with multiple trailhead access points. It winds along Channel A in the south starting just north of Memorial Highway, then heads north through Town 'N Country, near Westchase, Citrus Park, Odessa, and beyond. The trail continues north from Van Dyke Road and then east to the trailhead on Lutz Lake Fern Road, connecting to the Suncoast Trail at the Veterans Expressway.
Currently, a 2-mile gap in the Trail remains between Peterson and Van Dyke Roads; a PD&E study is being conducted to determine the most feasible trail route to close this gap.
The Upper Tampa Bay Trail is utilized by about 300,000 visitors annually for activities such as walking, jogging, biking, and rollerblading. The trail also provides access to off-trail hiking opportunities at the County's Brooker Creek Headwaters and Town 'N Country Nature Preserves.
For general information about the bridge construction project, email Hillsborough County Public Works at PWCustomerResolution@HCFL.gov or call (813) 635-5400.