Sarasota County Commission approves road closure

About 700 hundred feet of Honore Avenue north of its intersection with Clark Road will be closed during the day for three weeks starting in April, while Ajax Paving installs new stormwater pipes to support an expansion of Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Clark campus.

Sarasota County commissioners approved the agreement Tuesday, March 5, and the Florida Department of Transportation supported a detour for northbound traffic at Gantt Road and southbound traffic at McIntosh Road.

“It’s a big closure,” explained County Engineer Jim Harriott.

Staff recommended the option over alternatives including installing temporary pavement and a jack and bore operation to leave traffic flowing at all times. The contractor would only be able to remove existing pipes with the jack and bore method and widening the roadway temporarily would close one lane of traffic for 90 days.

Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson requested the closure start after Easter weekend to avoid traffic congestion from tourist season.