A part of a sidewalk Lake County students helped get funding for is now open.
- Sidewalk partially open along County Road 561, Pine Island Road, Log House Road
- Pine Ridge Elementary students pushed for the safety project
- Project expected to be completed in December
More than a mile of new sidewalk is being put in on County Road 561, Pine Island Road and Log House Road in Clermont. But that work may not have happened without the work from students at Pine Ridge Elementary School.
"We first thought of it as just project that might not get done, might get done," said Enzo Vanscoyk.
Vanscoyk is one of the students who worked on a safety project after parents complained about the lack of sidewalks.
Students had to walk through the grass and Vanscoyk says he hardly ever walked to school because it wasn't easy.
The county’s Public Works Department got involved and so did third, fourth and fifth grade students. Officials say their safety project helped drive the funding for the sidewalk project that partially opened at the beginning of the school year.
Vanscoyk is now in middle school, but he says he's happy to see other students using the sidewalks he helped get funding for.
"It's just very cool for me just to feel that I'm actually doing something kids would use everyday," said Vanscoyk.
The project is expected to be completed in December.