Roundabout road closure to begin this weekend

Downtown drivers will have to find an alternative route to Ringling Boulevard between Orange and Osprey avenues as a nine-month project to convert the intersection of Ringling and Pine Place into a roundabout.

Construction to replace the signalized intersection is anticipated to begin on Monday, April 29.

Westbound lanes between Osprey Avenue and Rawls Avenue will be closed beginning April 29. The full intersection will close to traffic beginning Saturday, May 4. The average daily traffic count through the intersection was 7,300 in 2022.

Although the intersection will be closed, access will remain open to the U.S. Post Office, Sarasota County Administration Building and adjacent properties and businesses. The city’s project team is coordinating with the contractor, Ajax Paving, to minimize impacts to vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

The project will include warning lights for marking pedestrian crossings, paver brick crosswalks, a landscaped center island and improvements to surrounding green spaces.

This project will complete a string of roundabouts along Ringling Boulevard including Palm Avenue, Pineapple Avenue and Orange Avenue.

Construction is expected to conclude by January 2025.