Crews recently finished installing new water main along John Ringling Boulevard right of way
The Coon Key Multi-Use Recreational Trail (MURT) project is heading into the home stretch, Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin reported in his Aug. 21 newsletter.
“Crews recently finished installing a water main below the John Ringling Boulevard right-of-way and are wrapping up testing on the new utility line,” Barwin wrote, noting that that initiative is “a much-needed upgrade” to aging infrastructure.
“Next up will be new irrigation, landscaping, the planting of hundreds of new trees and the construction of the 10-foot-wide multi-use path on the north side of the road, to match the already completed south-side trail,” Barwin continued in the newsletter. “No significant traffic impacts are expected, outside of an occasional short lane closure for truck deliveries to the site.”
The project is expected to be completed by this fall, Barwin noted. Then, he continued, “we’ll have safer connectivity from our downtown to St. Armands Circle and the barrier islands for runners, walkers and bicyclists. Not only will it be a fun and scenic route for exercise and recreation, but it will also provide an alternative mobility option for those who choose and are able to walk, jog or bike to St. Armands and Lido Beach. Obviously, fewer cars means less traffic, cleaner air and healthier lifestyles,” Barwin added.