City of Sarasota to undertake environmental infrastructure project to improve quality of runoff into Sarasota Bay
The westbound segment of 10th Street between Central Avenue and Cocoanut Avenue in the city of Sarasota will be closed to all traffic starting Monday, April 23, “while a significant environmental infrastructure improvement project is underway,” the city has announced.
A large nutrient-separating baffle box will be installed beneath 10th Street, a news release says. That structure will clean stormwater runoff before the runoff enters Sarasota Bay, the release adds. Silt, litter and other debris will be collected within the chambers of the box, leading to better water quality in the bay, the release points out.
The baffle box installation will be the final stage of the ongoing 10th Street Boat Basin dredging project, the release explains. The basin was dredged recently after areas became impassable because of the accumulation of silt, the release notes.
The westbound 10th Street segment between Central Avenue and Cocoanut Avenue is expected to reopen in the fall, the release adds.
During the construction period, eastbound 10th Street will remain open, the release points out. Additionally, northbound and southbound Central Avenue and Cocoanut Avenue will be open to all traffic, the release stresses.
Businesses in the vicinity will be accessible during the temporary closure. “Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and use alternative routes while considering the ongoing Florida Department of Transportation construction at nearby U.S. 41 and 10th Street,” the release says.