FDOT gives green light for signal on S.R. 64 corridor

The Florida Department of Transportation has more changes in store for the State Road 64 corridor east of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

FDOT spokesman Brian Rick confirmed FDOT plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection of S.R. 64 and 117th Street East.

The intersection is immediately west of three proposed roundabouts, to be located along a 1.3-mile stretch of S.R. 64 at its intersections with GreyHawk Boulevard/Pope Road, Rye Road/White Eagle Boulevard and Lorraine Road/145th Street East. Construction of the Rye Road/White Eagle Boulevard roundabout began in October 2018 and is expected to take about 18 months.

“We have been looking at this intersection (117th Street East) for some time due to the high growth in the area,” Rick said. 

Rick expects construction of the signal at 117th to start in fall 2020. Costs currently are estimated at $100,000 for design and $492,000 for construction.

FDOT and Manatee County have partnered to advance the roundabout at GreyHawk Boulevard/Pope Road to spring 2020, instead of in 2023 as FDOT had planned. Rick said the improvement at 117th Street will be incorporated into that project.

Chad Butzow, the director of Manatee County Public Works, said the change makes sense because of traffic pattern changes at the intersection of State Road 64 and GreyHawk Boulevard/Pope Road. As an interim safety improvement there, FDOT closed the southbound turn from S.R. 64 onto Pope Road, which also prevents drivers from doing a U-turn to head east. Instead, vehicles must travel westward to 117th to make a U-turn and head east on S.R. 64.