Undertaking is years in the making
Although no turning of shovels has begun — so to speak — drivers on Fruitville Road since early April have been observing the initial construction phase of the next diverging diamond interchange (DDI) in Sarasota County, following completion of such projects at University Parkway and Interstate 75 and the Clark Road/I-75 DDI.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) outlook for District 1 projects for the week of April 13 through April 19 was the first of those routine reports in which The Sarasota News Leader could find details about the preparations for the new DDI. It said, “I-75 at SR 780/Fruitville Road Interchange (Exit 210): Construction project: Project will: reconstruct the interchange to a diverging diamond interchange; widen about 2 miles of I-75, from Palmer Boulevard to north of Fruitville Road, to a six-lane highway with three through lanes per direction; reconstruct or widen I-75 bridges over Fruitville Road, over Palmer Boulevard, and Main A Canal; widen Fruitville Road from Honore Avenue to east of Coburn Road; install 7-foot buffered bike lanes and 6-foot sidewalks on Fruitville Road; replace traffic signals and lighting on Fruitville Road; and construct a noise wall on I-75 northbound from the Bee Ridge Road on-ramp to just north of Main A Canal.”
That advisory added, “This week, crews will work on installing MOT [maintenance of traffic] and erosion control devices, and work on I-75 shoulders.”
The outlook reports dated April 24 through June 12 all noted that, in the weeks ahead, “Crews will work on installing erosion control devices, clearing and grubbing, and work on I-75 shoulders.”
Wikipedia explains, “Grubbing or clearing is the removal of trees, shrubs, stumps and rubbish from a site. This is often at the site where a transportation or utility corridor, a road or power line … is to be constructed. Grubbing is performed following clearance of trees to their stumps, preceding construction.”
In response to a News Leader inquiry this week about when drivers might begin to notice roadwork, Patricia Pichette, a communications specialist with FDOT, wrote in a June 17 email, “You can expect to see more crews out there in late summer or early fall, though I understand that the bulk of the activity likely won’t occur until closer to the end of the year.”
“We are still under a period of Design review and feedback,” she continued. “The clearing and grubbing work you see now is what we can accomplish prior to final review.”
Altogether, FDOT says, the undertaking is expected to cost $177.4 million, with completion anticipated in early 2029.
Years of planning
The Fruitville Road DDI is an undertaking that has been years in the making, as the News Leader found in a search of its past articles and state and county documents.
In a May 2016 FDOT report about the I-75 and Fruitville Road interchange, the Executive Summary explained that FDOT “conducted a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study in 2008 along I-75 in Sarasota County to determine the ultimate needs for the interstate and interchanges. This study was updated in 2012 as part of a Systems Interchange Modification Report (SIMR). Both reports concluded the Preferred Alternative for the I-75 and Fruitville Road (SR 780) interchange to be Arterial Separation along with adding turn lanes to the on and off-ramp approaches at Fruitville Road. A new interchange reevaluation has developed an additional alternative which is a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI). The DDI reduces overall delay along the Fruitville Road corridor, including adjacent intersections as well as the interstate ramp terminals.”
That report added, “The DDI alternative provides a safer environment for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. The SIMR arterial separation does not provide controlled crossings for pedestrians at the interchange and forces bicyclists to cross multiple lanes of thru vehicle traffic to properly position for the interchange. The DDI alternative incorporates a lower design speed, provides signal controlled crossings for pedestrians at the interchange [and] positions bicycles west of Cattlemen Road to safely ride through the interchange without crossing multiple lanes of vehicle traffic. The DDI alternative also relocates the on-ramps on the conventional side of the road and removes the loop on-ramps which should reduce the number of rear-end, sideswipe, and ‘run off the road’ type crashes.”
In materials that FDOT made available earlier this year, the firm Burgess & Niple (B&N), which designed the project, reported that it had worked closely with FDOT staff to re-evaluate plans for “a partial cloverleaf interchange at I-75 and Fruitville Road, which was known for gridlock.”
B&N collected both traffic data “and Bluetooth Travel Time and Origination-Destination data,” which it used “to analyze speed trends and vehicle route patterns,” that document added.
The project limits on Fruitville extend from the Honore Avenue intersection to east of Coburn Road, FDOT points out.
Burgess & Niple has offices in a number of cities across the country, including Tampa and Orlando.
An FDOT handout prepared for a March public meeting about the DDI initiative further noted, “The DDI also offers the ability to accommodate future traffic volume growth. This project has been advanced as a part the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative.”
Another FDOT document explains, “During the 2023 Legislative Session, Governor [Ron] DeSantis proposed, and the Florida Legislature … passed the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative. As part of the initiative, [FDOT] identified a selection of critical needs on state-owned roadways. Additionally, FDOT identified previously approved projects with broad community support that only lacked funding to begin construction. Due to Florida’s sound fiscal health, $4 billion from the General Revenue Surplus has been dedicated to the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative to advance construction on these projects around the state that will address congestion, improve safety, ensure the resiliency of our transportation network, and enhance Florida’s supply chain and economic growth.”
That document pointed out that Florida was “experiencing unprecedented population growth and is projected to grow by 1,000 people every day over the next 30 years,” with some areas of the state seeing growth rates of 20% a year.
A bit behind schedule
On Sept. 27, 2023, FDOT announced the construction timelines for those Moving Florida Forward initiatives. At that time, the Fruitville DDI was expected to begin in the fall of 2024. Yet, between June and October 2024, Sarasota County contended with four significant weather events: the “Invest 90L” storm in June; Tropical Storm Debby in early August; Hurricane Helene in late September; and Hurricane Milton, which came ashore at Big Sarasota Pass on Siesta Key on Oct. 9, 2024.
The Fruitville DDI plans include a number of improvements, as noted in an FDOT document provided to attendees of that early March public meeting on the initiative:
The weekly FDOT reports about the DDI work also include the following advisories:
- “Motorists should anticipate I-75 single lane closures during the overnight hours from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the duration of the construction.
- “Motorists should anticipate I-75 double lane closures during the overnight hours from 11:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. during the duration of the construction.
- “Motorists should anticipate I-75 ramp closures during the overnight hours from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the duration of the construction
- Motorists should anticipate Fruitville Road single lane closures during the overnight hours from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the duration of the construction.
- “Motorists should anticipate Fruitville Road double lane closures during the overnight hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. throughout the duration of the construction.
- “Drivers should exercise caution and be aware of construction vehicles entering and exiting the interstate through the duration of the construction.
“Variable message signs will be in place to alert drivers that work is underway,” the reports add.