Road project turns toward completion

Although six months of construction remains on the Florida Department of Transportation’s reconfiguration of the University Parkway and Interstate 75 interchange, the public will see its benefits much sooner.

FDOT has announced vehicles will begin driving the new, diverging diamond traffic pattern — one that is expected to reduce traffic delays through its design, by late spring or early summer.

FDOT has scheduled public workshops about the change for Tuesday, April 4.

“The purpose of the meeting is to inform the public of what to expect when we make the change to the DDI pattern,” said FDOT spokesman Robin Stublen. “We want to do it earlier rather than later so our winter residents will know what to expect when they return. We do not have a definitive date for the change at this time. The reason is weather, which always is a factor in constructions projects.”

At the April 4 workshops, participants can review project exhibits and speak with FDOT staff members for the first half hour. During the second half-hour, there will be a presentation about the project and the implementation of the new traffic pattern.

The diverging diamond traffic pattern is similar to a traditional diamond interchange, except that both directions of traffic on University Parkway will shift to the left side of the roadway while going through the interchange. Traffic entering and exiting the interstate does not have to cross traffic while making left-hand turns.

Exact dates for the new traffic pattern will be released at least two weeks in advance. On the selected date, FDOT will close University Parkway at I-75 to perform the switch overnight, likely on a Saturday evening and into Sunday morning hours, when traffic is light, FDOT Project Manager Marlena Gore said during a joint meeting March 21 of the Sarasota and Manatee county commissions.

Once the shift is completed, drivers will have five lanes in each direction on University Parkway — six when the project is completed in the fall.

“The items that will remain (under construction) after the switch will be minor — final asphalt, striping, final work on the median. This, too, will depend on the weather,” Stublen said. “There is still a lot to finish.”

Gore said crews are nearly done with the overpass at University Parkway. They also are installing 12,000 feet of new guard rails and are about 95% finished with a mile-long sound wall on the west site of I-75 just north of University.

“We’ve been blessed this winter has been pretty dry and we’ve made progress,” Gore said.

The $74.5 million diverging diamond project should be complete prior to the 2017 World Rowing Championships to be held in September at Nathan Benderson Park, as scheduled.

Stublen said the project is on time and within budget.