The Legacy Trail stretches 10.6 miles from south Sarasota into Venice and Nokomis, but until the replacement of the largest two bridge trestles along the rails-to-trails route, key attractions were inaccessible. Roberts Bay and Dona Bay are home to a sensitive estuarine environment that holds oysters, mangroves, manatees, sea turtles, and other wildlife.

Beyond its natural environmental appeal, this corridor has historic character. The railroad preceded many highways and was once the main passage into southwest Florida. It was used by the U.S. Army during World War II, the Kentucky Military Institute, and the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Ayres Associates designed the bridges to capture the essence of the old trestles while meeting today’s structural, environmental, and safety standards. The pilings were designed to look like the old pilings – round, dark, and numerous. And along the profile of the bridges, the look of railroad ties was replicated with concrete forms that created indentations at regular intervals. This gives the bridges a historic look while eliminating the potentially harmful creosote that preserved the railroad ties of the old trestles.

The bridges opened in 2010.