- December 4, 2025
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Mike Zinn has lived in Rosedale since 1997. When he moved in, the entrance didn't have or require a stoplight.
Now, even with a signal at the intersection, Zinn sees accidents and near-accidents every day when residents try to leave the neighborhood and head west on State Road 70.
"You have to be very careful about cars cutting in front of you and cars pulling out of Lena Road in front of you," he said. "Then, once you get past Lena Road, you've got issues of people still cutting in front of you."
The entrance of Rosedale is along the westbound lane of State Road 70, about 600 feet east of Lena Road. Both the north and south on ramps for Interstate 75 are to the west of Lena Road.
Rosedale residents are seeking relief from the Florida Department of Transportation because they worry the situation will only get worse when Manatee County finishes the construction that will connect Lena Road from State Road 64 to State Road 70.
“This is going to be a mess,” resident Michael Axelrad said. “There’s so much development here. (The County) is not getting ahead of it. Lena Road should be four lanes.”
The concern is that once Lena Road connects from State Road 64 to State Road 70, there will be more cars cutting across traffic and more cars exiting Rosedale because of 54th Drive East, which connects Lena Road to the Rosedale entrance at 87th Street East.
When Lena Road is backed up with cars trying to exit onto State Road 70, residents predict that drivers will try to avoid the backup by turning left onto 54th Drive East, so they'll turn onto State Road 70 through the Rosedale exit instead.
Axelrad and some other residents suggested making 54th Drive East one-way to prevent drivers from using it as a cut-thru street.
Walter Breuggeman, Traffic Services program engineer for FDOT District 1, said the idea might not be feasible because of businesses along 54th Drive East, such as Norman’s Liquors Fine Wines Beers & Cigars.
Changes cannot adversely affect businesses, and FDOT has its own plan to ease residents’ concerns and increase safety along that corridor of State Road 70.
Breuggman made a presentation to residents at the Rosedale Golf and Country Club May 22 with one caveat — the plan is not funded yet.
FDOT is working on funding with a goal to start construction in 2029.
FDOT presented sketches of how its engineers want to solve traffic issues on State Road 70 between Rosedale and Interstate 75.
The suggestion is to add a signal to Lena Road. The eastbound lanes on State Road 70 would not be affected, only the eastbound left turn lane onto Lena Road from State Road 70 would have a stoplight.
However, the westbound lane on State Road 70 would be signalized, and it would coordinate with the stoplight at Rosedale.
Stopping traffic on westbound State Road 70 will allow drivers to safely exit right from Lena Road as drivers simultaneously turn left onto Lena Road from the eastbound turn lane on State Road 70.
Drivers exiting Lena Road will not be permitted to turn left or right on red.
“When you’re taking a right out of Lena, it takes the guesswork out of it because you’re turning right on green when that westbound lane is actually stopped,” Breuggman said. “You’re not trying to figure out if that westbound person is going to turn right on Lena Road or not.”
Overall, residents liked the plan. They’ve been working with FDOT to offer feedback for the past 18 months.
“For the first time, I think that we have something meaningful that we can work on,” Zinn said. “Hopefully, we can dramatically improve traffic safety for Rosedale residents and other Manatee County citizens.”
