Turning point

Development in East County is booming. Traffic is growing. Below are the projects planned to add to that growth — and the roads that are planned to help.

Scroll down for a map of these projects.

1 The Villages of Lakewood Ranch South
What: Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch is courting homebuilders to build within the 5,500-acre Villages of Lakewood Ranch South project, located along SMR’s southern property line. Sarasota County commissioners approved the project in May, after more than a decade of planning.

Timeframe: SMR will most likely break ground in the second quarter of 2015.

Details: The project, approved for 5,144 residential units spread across 12 villages, also includes 300,000 square feet of commercial/office/retail space; 90,000 square feet of neighborhood commercial; 90,000 square feet for civic/public space; and one elementary school site.

2 Lakewood Ranch Boulevard
What: SMR must build Lakewood Ranch Boulevard as a four-lane roadway to its southern property boundary and a two-lane roadway from there to Fruitville Road. SMR is encouraging Sarasota County to make the roadway four lanes all the way to Fruitville, but no decision has been finalized.

Timeframe: Construction will begin in late 2015 or early 2016 and continue for about 18 months.

Details: In January, SMR retained engineers to design the roadway, but the design is on hold; SMR is waiting for necessary approvals before proceeding.

3 Diverging Diamond Interchange
What: The Florida Department of Transportation will construct an $83 million diverging diamond interchange at the intersection of University Parkway and I-75. The new design allows for efficient movement of traffic by reducing the wait at traffic signals.

Timeframe: Construction will begin in late July or early August and end in September 2017.

Details: FDOT officials say most work will be completed at night and impact to daytime drivers will be minimal. The same number of lanes open today along University Parkway and I-75 will remain open during construction, except at a few specific, well-publicized times.

Another first for the area will be a temporary structure utilized while construction is under way. Use of the bridge will speed up the construction timeline by more than a year and will allow FDOT to keep all lanes of I-75 open.

4 Deer Drive extension
What: SMR will extend Deer Drive southward to connect with Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

Timeframe: Undetermined

Details: SMR will complete the project as part of its Villages of Lakewood Ranch South development approvals.

5 Adaptive Signal System
What: FDOT will install an adaptive signal system along University Parkway from Lakewood Ranch Boulevard to the entrance to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Timeframe: Installation will begin in May; the system will be operational in November.

Details: The $161,654 system will adjust signal timings based on real-time traffic demand instead of relying on preprogrammed signal timings at the intersection. This will help smooth traffic flow.

6 Overpass across I-75
What: Sarasota County intends to build an overpass across I-75 either north or south of the main lake at Nathan Benderson Park. If the overpass is constructed south of the park, the county is considering expanding the project to connect the overpass with Honore Avenue to the west.

Timeframe: Undetermined; Sarasota County does not have money allocated to the project currently, nor does it have a timeline for construction.

Details: SMR has pledged $7.5 million toward infrastructure improvements, as required per its approvals for the Villages project. Likely, about $2.5 million would be applied toward the design of an overpass.

The county hosted a neighborhood workshop Jan. 29, during which some residents expressed concern about the proposed location of the overpass. The next step is for the proposal to go before the Sarasota County Planning Commission; no date has yet been set.

7 Lorraine Road
What: Like Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, SMR must construct Lorraine Road as four lanes to its southern property line and as two lanes to Fruitville Road.

Timeframe: Construction will begin in late 2015 or early 2016 and continue for approximately 18 months.

Details: SMR owns the right of way for the project and has retained engineers to design the roadway, However, it is waiting to obtain necessary approvals to proceed.

8 Expansion of University Town Center
What: Benderson Development Co. hopes to add 600,000 square feet of retail and 100,000 square feet of office space to its University Town Center project along I-75.

Timeframe: Undetermined, but the project will be developed in phases.

Details: Sarasota County commissioners voted Jan. 27 to change the county’s long-range plan to include the expansion and sent the proposal to the state for review. It delayed a final vote on zoning changes until May.

Meanwhile, Benderson has committed to organize a Transportation Management Association, which seeks to entice 16% of Mall at UTC employees to use alternative means of transportation, such as car pools or buses. Benderson will also introduce trolley service to its UTC projects later this year.

9 East-West connector
What: As provided in approvals of The Villages of Lakewood Ranch South, SMR must build an east-west connector road along its southern boundary.

Timeframe: Undetermined

Details: The connector road will likely have two lanes, but specifics have not yet been determined.