Median at Bird Key also to be improved; no traffic lanes to be closed during work
Work began Monday, March 6, on what Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin has called “a much anticipated improvement project connecting Marina Jack to Coon Key.”
The Multi-Use Recreational Trail (MURT) will be extended on the south side of John Ringling Boulevard from Bird Key Drive to the east side of the Coon Key Bridge, Barwin announced in his March 3 newsletter. With a width of 10 feet, he wrote, “the extension will be user-friendly and will include lighting and landscaping.” Barwin added, “This connectivity will enhance pedestrian safety and encourage a healthier lifestyle for those who want to exercise along the Bayfront, over the Ringling Bridge and across Bird Key.”
At the same time, he continued, “the median at Bird Key will be spruced up with enhanced landscaping, irrigation and pavers.
“Travel lanes will not be closed for either project,” he stressed. Some barriers may be placed in the area to provide a safe work space for the contractors — and that only will be done during non-peak drive times,” he pointed out.
The next phase of the MURT — coming soon — will connect Coon Key to St. Armands Circle, he wrote.