JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 13, 2012) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has closed two sections of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail while maintenance and rehabilitation work continues on the Herbert Hoover Dike.
The section between Uncle Joe’s Fish Camp/Liberty Point and Alvin Ward Park/Moore Haven East are closed while culverts 1 & 1A are replaced. Additionally, the Belle Glade to Port Mayaca section remains closed while dike rehabilitation activities are ongoing.
Contractors are using heavy construction vehicles and large equipment within these areas. Truck traffic on the roads is a constant flow, and any additional traffic on the narrow trail or dike crest poses a safety hazard for recreationists and equipment operators.
“We want to ensure the safest conditions possible while maintenance is ongoing – for the public’s protection along with our workers,” said Robert Schnell, assistant chief of the Corps’ South Florida Operations Office (SFOO) in Clewiston.
Release no. 12-004