More S.R. 64 construction begins in Lakewood Ranch area

Ground breaks Aug. 10 for the second in a trio of S.R. 64 roundabouts.

By Pam Eubanks
| 3:20 p.m. July 15, 2020

The roundabout at Rye Road/White Eagle Boulevard and State Road 64 is the first of three roundabouts planned for the S.R. 64 corridor.

East County
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As the Florida Department of Transportation works to complete construction of a roundabout at the intersection of State Road 64 and Rye Road/White Eagle Boulevard this fall, it is gearing up for construction of yet another roundabout less than a mile away.

Contractor Watson Civil Construction is expected to start building the new 130-foot-wide roundabout at S.R. 64 and Pope Road/GreyHawk Boulevard on Aug. 3, FDOT spokesman Brian Rick said.

IN MEMORY

On June 30, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 78 into law, establishing that after the roundabout is constructed at State Road 64 and Pope Road/Greyhawk Boulevard, it will be designated as the “Chase Coyner and Matthew Powers Memorial Roundabout.”

The Lakewood Ranch High School students died Sept. 15, 2018, in a traffic accident at the intersection, furthering public outcry for safety improvements at the intersection and along the State Road 64 corridor in that area.

Working with Manatee County, FDOT advanced the project by about two years.

The boys’ fathers, Scott Coyner and Dan Powers, said they are pleased the state has agreed to name the roundabout in honor of their sons and that they are glad safety improvements are coming.

“We’re very honored the state would allow us to do something like that to keep the boy’s memory alive,” Scott Coyner said.

Powers said he was thankful to Rep. Thomas Gregory, who made the naming of the roundabout possible.

Coyner noted the community has mixed feelings about a roundabout there, but he believes it will slow traffic as intended and will prevent accidents.

“The key is it’s not always about convenience,” Coyner said. “It’s about saving lives.”

“While the contractor has the option to start sooner, we anticipate an Aug. 3 start with equipment mobilization and [maintenance of

traffic] sign placement,” Rick said.

The $4.76 million project is expected to be finished by late 2021.

As part of the project, FDOT also will install a traffic signal and pedestrian crossing at S.R. 64 at 117th Street East. Rick said the work would be done in the early phase of the project.

FDOT currently is under construction of a roundabout at Rye Road/White Eagle Boulevard. Construction began in October 2018, and the project now is anticipated for completion in September.

Rick said it is not uncommon for FDOT to work on two projects close together, and FDOT has maintenance-of-traffic plans in place to maintain safe traffic patterns.

“The purpose [of the roundabouts] is to slow traffic, providing safe access from all directions while also providing continuous traffic flow without the use of traffic signals,” Rick said.

Chris Kiritsis, president and CEO of Diverse Development Group, plans to build a 7-Eleven gas station at the northwest corner of S.R. 64 at Lorraine Road/145th Street East, where a third roundabout is planned in future years, though there is a temporary traffic signal there now. He said he believes the roundabout will be a benefit to his and other businesses that come to that area.

“All the research has found roundabouts are beneficial for the businesses,” he said. “It gives all the corners [of the intersection] the same access. You’re not sitting at a stop light. You’re not waiting for a turn movement.”

Kiritsis said construction should begin on the 7-Eleven within four months and should last about five months.

Rick said FDOT’s plans for a roundabout at Lorraine Road are still in the early phases of design — about 15% complete. Accepting a bid for the project is scheduled for July 2023.

A shopping center anchored by Publix is planned for the northeast corner of Pope Road at S.R. 64. Publix officials said the store isn’t expected to open until early in 2022, so they don’t have any concerns at this time.