Sarasota to break ground on Honore extension

The 2.7-mile extension of Honore Avenue from Bee Ridge Road north to Fruitville Road will kick off with a groundbreaking at 9 a.m. tomorrow. The groundbreaking will be on the north side of Webber Street, east of Mapleloft Lane and west of the bridge on Phillippi Creek.

Construction of the two-lane divided road will be done in three phases:

Phase 1: from Bee Ridge Road to Colonial Oaks Boulevard, started this month with site clearing for the work on the four-lane bridge over Phillippi Creek.
Phase 2: from Bahia Vista Street to Fruitville Road, is expected to begin in spring 2010.
Phase 3: from Colonial Oaks Boulevard to Bahia Vista Street, is targeted to start in summer 2010.

The entire design-build project is scheduled for completion in spring 2011.

The nearly $17 million improvement project includes the addition of medians, bicycle lanes and meandering sidewalks on both sides of the road, crosswalks, drainage improvements, Florida friendly landscaping and decorative streetlights in the medians.

To improve traffic flow, at least five roundabouts will be built at the intersections of Brookmeade Road, Webber Street, Colonial Oaks Boulevard, Palmer Boulevard and Sawgrass Road. An additional roundabout is being considered at Camus Street.

To avoid impacts to trees, boardwalks will be used to supplement sidewalks. An estimated 114 out of 140 significant trees will be preserved during construction.

The extension is part of the Sarasota Economic Stimulus Program of fast-track, capital-improvement projects. Funding is provided by the penny surtax.

For more information, call the Sarasota County Call Center, (941) 861-5000.