Ludlam Trail Linear Park Breaks Ground in Miami-Dade

Construction began September 30 on Ludlam Trail, a 5.6-mile shared-use linear park along a former FEC Railway corridor from NW 7th Street to SW 80th Street. Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is developing the project, with design by Kimley-Horn and Associates.

The trail features an 18-foot-wide shared-use path with landscaped buffers, shade trees, lighting, seating, and wayfinding. Plans call for six bridges (four overpasses, two canal crossings), 11 at-grade roadway crossings, and neighborhood and park connections.

The county commission approved the full-corridor design contract July 21. The Kimley-Horn contract is valued at up to $9.53 million over five years. Total design and construction cost is estimated at $154.6 million. The county has secured nearly $48 million, including a $1.25 million state appropriation. The Miami City Commission weighed a $5 million allocation for city segments on October 8.

The county bought the corridor in 2018 for $25 million and held a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2021. Contaminated soil along the former rail line will be remediated with topsoil removal, a geosynthetic barrier, and clean fill. The trail is planned as part of the Miami Loop bikeway network with the Perimeter Trail, Miami River Greenway, and The Underline.