By Roger Jimenez, Interning Correspondent for The Apopka Voice
Apopka residents and officials gathered to celebrate the reopening of the West Orange Trail pedestrian bridge, a key connector for trail users crossing over State Road 441 and South Forest Avenue in Apopka. The event, hosted by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore, included participation from community groups, local businesses, and city officials.
The celebration featured a variety of activities, including a 2-mile community walk, run, and bike led by the Apopka Run Club. Children participated in a bridge-themed art station organized by the Creative Hub of Apopka, while Sprouts Market and Dunkin’ Donuts provided complimentary snacks and refreshments.
Moore, who helped organize the event, emphasized the bridge’s potential to serve as the foundation for increased trail use and future revitalization efforts.
“I really hope for this to be a catalyst to inspire more use of the trail," she said. "This trail has the foundation for revitalization like you see in Winter Garden and Oakland, and we want the same for us. And so we have to activate. This is the spine of a great trail system that is coming."
Representatives from The People of Southern Apopka (POSA), a grassroots community group supported by Moore’s initiative, were also in attendance. POSA representative Jaratte Schofield explained the group's goal in creating collaboration across southern Apopka communities.
“What we’re doing is inviting the surrounding communities to come together and collaborate," Schofield said. "We meet on the last Tuesday of each month at Brixton Landing, and we do a local clean-up on the first Saturday of each month. And that’s what we're doing now: building bridges with communities, establishing relationships, and supporting events and activities that center around Apopka, such as the restoration of the bridge. We’re here to show that this is an epic moment for us. The bridge is a safety net. It is an identifier, and it is right in the heart of downtown Apopka. It is just a beautiful landmark.”
Apopka City Commissioner Diane Velazquez spoke about the bridge’s local significance and the importance of maintaining public infrastructure.
Photos from Roger Jimenez, Interning Correspondent for The Apopka Voice.
“This bridge is so central to 441, even with the 429 and the 414, this bridge is so heavily traveled, and it really identifies us," she said. "Even though there’s nothing saying ‘Welcome to Apopka,’ once you get to the bridge, you just know that we are in Apopka. The only way to keep structures strong and vibrant is to maintain them, and so I’m really happy that Orange County invested in renovating and updating it.”
The bridge, originally constructed in 2007 through a collaboration between Orange County and the City of Apopka, is part of the 22-mile West Orange Trail. It was funded by the Federal Transportation Enhancement Program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Rails-to-Trails Program, which converts former railway corridors into recreational trails.
Recent renovations to the bridge began in October 2024 and concluded in April 2025. The $2 million project included structural repairs, pressure washing, painting, and landscaping improvements. These upgrades are part of a larger $4.5 million, five-phase effort to expand and improve the West Orange Trail, which is expected to reach 36 miles upon completion.
Despite rainy conditions, the community event saw a solid turnout.
Speakers included Orange County Parks and Recreation Division Manager Matt Suedmeyer, Demings, Moore, and Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson, who each acknowledged the project’s impact and the broader vision for trail connectivity in the region.
“In 1994, the first element of the West Orange Trail was opened. Eventually, that trail was expanded and now stretches 22 miles through the cities and towns of Oakland, Winter Garden, Apopka, and Ocoee. I know some of you will be running the whole trail, I won’t be joining you,” Demings joked. “But we are here to celebrate the improvements made to the northern portion of the WOT and the trail bridge in the City of Apopka. I want to thank the Orange County staff, including the Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation division, for their hard work on this project. The Public Works Department was responsible for overseeing the renovations, and the park staff were responsible for supervising the trail repaving, wayfinding signs, and general maintenance of the trail. From the first 8-acre park to today, we are proud of how the Parks Division has evolved to meet the needs of our community.”
“Today we are officially reactivating the West Orange Trail, and you are all a part of it,” Moore said. “The West Orange Trail is so important to all of us that live on the west side of town, and today I really wanted to celebrate the renovations, about $2 million worth. Today is the day we’re going to reinvigorate this trail!”
“We appreciate the City of Apopka and our partnerships with Orange County to make this trail what it is today,” Nelson said. “The commitment now is that we need to finish the trail. We have these 22 miles from here to Clermont, and we love it. All we have to do now is finish from here to Neighborhood Lakes at the Lake County line, and we will have one of the most amazing trails that would rival anywhere in the country! So we’re so excited to see where we are today, now we’ve got to finish the job.”
The event concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony atop the bridge. A recording of the event is available on Orange County's Facebook page.
