New Ringling Boulevard/Orange Avenue roundabout expected to open next week

‘BRAVO!’ sculpture to be installed this summer

A graphic depicts how BRAVO! is expected to look in the middle of the roundabout. Image courtesy City of Sarasota

A new single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Ringling Boulevard is expected to open to traffic early next week, the City of Sarasota has announced.

While the bulk of the construction was completed about a week ago, a May 8 news release says, final improvements have been underway this week, including the installation of signage, landscaping and a foundation for the public artwork that is to be displayed in the center of the roundabout.

Crews plan to install local artist Jorge Blanco’s aluminum sculpture BRAVO!later this summer, the release notes. That project will be coordinated to occur during off-peak hours to minimize traffic disruptions, the release points out.

The intersection previously operated with a traffic signal. The roundabout is expected to improve traffic flow, as well as driver and pedestrian safety, the release adds. The project also allowed for infrastructure upgrades — a new water line, additional lighting for the road and sidewalk, and landscaping improvements, the release says.

Since 2010, several one-lane roundabouts have been constructed in downtown Sarasota, including one at Five Points and one at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Main Street.