Roundabout construction at Fruitville Road and U.S. 41 to be focus of Oct. 1 meeting

Project to get underway soon, Sarasota city manager says

The new roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road. Image courtesy City of Sarasota

Construction of the roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road in downtown Sarasota will be the focus of a community open house on Oct. 1 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., the City of Sarasota has announced.

Members of the public are invited to the session “to learn about the project and how the construction and final product will affect traffic patterns around downtown,” City Manager Tom Barwin wrote in his Sept. 20 newsletter.

Construction is expected to begin in October and is anticipated to be complete in late fall 2020, a city news release adds.

The meeting will be held in the Grand Foyer of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, which is located at 777 N. Tamiami Trail.

“The City has been planning for this unique project for over a decade,” Barwin pointed out in his newsletter, “but when the Great Recession hit, it was placed on hold, along with the redevelopment of the Quay property.”

The two-lane roundabout will be constructed by Greenpointe, the private developer of the Quay Sarasota, on behalf of the city and the Florida Department of Transportation, Barwin added.

“The open house will include video displays about the project, expected detours and information on how to drive in dual lane roundabouts,” Barwin noted. Representatives of the city staff, the Florida Department of Transportation and the construction contractor will be present to answer questions, he added.

The contractor is Wright Construction Group, the news release notes.

For more information, visit www.US41FruitvilleRoundabout.com, call 275-9360, or email info@us41fruitvilleroundabout.com.