Work to resurface the first rail trail in the state started late last month.

The Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail was the first rail trail to be paved nearly 20 years ago. It is now in need of repair and resurfacing.

The trail will be closed for eight months, until December or January, from Riverside Drive to the Wakulla Station trailhead.

This portion is 7.1 miles.

Construction of the other portion, from the north entrance of the trail in Tallahassee to the Wakulla Station Trailhead, will begin once the portion in Wakulla County is completed.

According to Department of Environmental Protection’s Deputy Press Secretary Dee Ann Miller, the eight month construction period is an estimate based on work to be completed and sufficient time to comply with restrictions required by the Office of Greenways and Trails.

Along with resurfacing to fix bumps, dips and crumbling edges, the trail will also be widened. Currently it is eight feet wide and will be widened to 12 feet.

Miller said this is a nationally accepted safety standard for multi-use trails.

It is the only state trail paved at less than 12-feet wide, according to the Office of Greenways and Trails.

“These improvements are necessary for safety reasons and to make the trail more usable for recreational users, especially those on thin tire bicycles and in-line skates,” Miller said.

Mike Pruitt, member of the St. Marks Waterfronts Florida Partnership, said the widening expands usage and he thinks it will make the trail safer.

Especially since two distinct paces are seen on the trail, the person clocking their time and the one casually enjoying the trail, he added.

“It could be a hazard,” Pruitt said of the current width.

The Office of Greenways and Trails also plans to build a boardwalk promised to the City of St. Marks.

The boardwalk will be funded by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Miller said construction for the boardwalk will begin in August and end in December.

The building of the boardwalk has been a project in the making for the last two years, Pruitt said.

“It’s been a little frustrating for the people in the city,” he said of something that seems to be just a simple boardwalk.

The issue was engineering and obtaining the necessary permits, he added.

Billy Bishop, member of St. Marks Waterfronts Florida Partnership, said the project was also stalled because of people stating their objection to the boardwalk.

“It’s nitpicking things,” he said. “The technical stuff is all worked out.”

The project will extend the trail and connect it to the existing boardwalk at St. Marks that was built by the city.

The trail will then run from the trail head in Leon County to the public boat ramp and picnic area in St. Marks.

Pruitt said the boardwalk was built higher up and will allow people to see the water over the river grass.

“St. Marks is an integral part of this area and is enjoyed by over 280,000 users each year,” Miller said. “It is a vital part of the St. Marks downtown redevelopment, and it helps to support the local economy.”

A three-foot grassy shoulder will stay on each side of the trail, and the equestrian trail will remain as well.

Funding for this project was provided by the 2006 Florida Legislature, which gave $5 million to the Office of Greenways and Trails. About $3.5 million will be used for the resurfacing and upgrading of the Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail.

This funding will also provide an observation tower, new restrooms and several pavilions at the Wakulla Station trailhead.

“It will give you a tremendous view,” Pruitt said.

All of these additions could bring even more people to St. Marks and be a huge attraction, allowing people to see an untouched natural environment, he said..

“It brings a lot of people to St. Marks,” Pruitt said. “It gives them a little adventure.”

It is proven to be beneficial because other states are copying the idea of the rail trail.

Bishop said the city is hoping to be able to buy a portion of land at the end of the trail to put a city park and docks.

“We don’t want a big condo to be put in there,” Bishop said.

The city was looking at Florida Forever Grants to pay for the purchasing of the property. However, the state has provided zero funding to that grant program the last two years.

“It could be a cornerstone of the city as it goes into the future,” Pruitt said.

Pruitt said currently there is a small strip of property that is in the city’s hands used as an open area.

“There are few places in the city center where you can view open water,” he said. “Access to water and view of water is in short supply.”

The Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad began operation in 1837 and was the first railroain Florida. Operating for 147 years, it was also the longest operating rail system.

During the Civil War, it was used to transport Confederate Troops. It was also used primarily to transport cotton from plantations to ships.

The Florida Department of Transportation purchased the 16 miles of property and dedicated the trail in 1988. It was the first rail trail to receive a federal land grant to pave the route.

It is now maintained by the Florida Park Service.