West Palm Beach, Fla. (Oct. 21, 2011) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District has temporarily closed a section of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail while rehabilitation work continues on the Herbert Hoover Dike.The Belle Glade to Port Mayaca section is closed while dike rehabilitation activities are ongoing.
Contractors are using heavy construction vehicles and large equipment within these areas. Truck traffic on the roads during production is constant, and any additional traffic on the narrow trail or dike crest poses a safety hazard for visitors and equipment operators.
“With construction of the cut-off wall ongoing at several locations, and with the removal and replacement of 10-foot diameter culverts, it is necessary to keep the dike closed to members of the public for their safety,” said Ingrid Bon, the forward project manager for Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation.
Bon advises that other parts of the trail will open and close based on continued construction activities around the dike, as part of the Corps of Engineers’ effort to rehabilitate the 143-mile system.
Release no. 11-51