- December 13, 2025
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Orange barrels appear and disappear from Lakewood Ranch Boulevard like a rabbit in a magician’s hat.
Just when the disappearing barrels suggest that reconstruction of the road might be finished, crews produce more barrels.
Manatee County notes that it is trying to help motorists by not keeping cones and barrels out unnecessarily, and also offers that the final disappearing act should take place by the end of November when Lakewood Ranch Boulevard between State Road 70 and University Boulevard will be nearly finished.
Ogden Clark, the communications coordinator for Manatee County Public Works, said the actual road work is expected to be completed by Nov. 1. The traction coat, which prevents skidding, was the last layer to go down.
The road was rebuilt, not resurfaced. It took multiple layers of different materials to finish, which is why the project spanned nearly a year.
While the major road work is wrapping up, the striping will take another few weeks and could require one last traffic shift. But it’s possible that the contractor will do some of that work at night, Clark said.
The striping on the road now is only temporary.
The contractor will have to apply permanent striping, markings and thermoplastic paint before the job is fully complete. When finished, the bike lanes will be marked with a “high-intensity green.”
There was one hiccup along the way when the inspector didn't approve the thickness of the road after it had been completed. The asphalt was ripped up and put down again, but even that didn't delay the project from its original date of completion.
The construction contract ran through December, so the approximately $16 million project is on track to finish ahead of schedule.
To the north of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, across State Road 64, Upper Manatee River Road will move beyond the current utility work and start construction on the southbound lanes in November.
The road is being widened from two lanes to four at an estimated cost of $99.8 million. Construction is due to finish in December 2028.
Clark noted that motorists should be mindful of construction crews and changing traffic patterns when traveling the road. The speed limit is 35 miles per hour, and speeding fines are doubled when workers are present.
“When this phase gets underway (in November), there will be some impacts on residents' access to and from Waterlefe,” Clark said.
Currently, the county is installing a 42-inch water main on the west side of Upper Manatee River Road. The work started north of Waterlefe Boulevard and is moving south.
Preparations for a traffic shift to the new roadway on the west side, north and south of the intersection at Upper Manatee River Road and Fort Hamer Road, is expected to start Oct. 29.
Construction continues on State Road 70, between Lorraine Road and Waterbury Road, Monday through Saturday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Florida Department of Transportation is widening the road from two lanes to four and six lanes, along with performing intersection improvements at Lorraine Road and Greenbrook Boulevard and adding roundabouts at Uihlein Road, Del Webb Boulevard, Bourneside Boulevard, Lindrick Lane, 213th Street East, Panther Ridge Trail and Waterbury Road
The project includes a new drainage system, street lighting, landscaping and 10-foot shared use paths.
Uihlein Road, between State Road 70 and Sapphire Point Drive, is closed in both directions while the northern portion of the roundabout is being built.
And 213th Street is closed while the southern portion of the roundabout is being built. Traffic is not allowed to enter or exit 213th Street from State Road 70 until the first week of November.
FDOT provided message boards to guide drivers through both detours, and will do the same Nov. 10 when Panther Ridge Trail closes. As with 213th Street, traffic will not be permitted to enter or exit from State Road 70.
Construction is expected to continue through early 2027. The estimated cost is $98.4 million.
