Another busy Manatee County intersection is getting a roundabout. Here’s what to know
A planned roundabout at Honore Avenue and Old Farm Road is intended to facilitate the flow of traffic at the heavily traveled intersection through Mote Ranch.
The stop-and-go there is primarily on Honore Avenue as one side of Old Farm Road goes into a Mote neighborhood and the other goes to a Mote Ranch recreation center.
Construction should begin in late fall of 2023 and be completed by late fall of 2024, according to a Manatee County press release.
The Honore-Old Farm Road roundabout is one of 23 planned for Manatee County.
Also planned at the intersection are pedestrian ramps, crosswalks with rectangular rapid flashing beacons, pavement resurfacing of all approach lanes, lighting and the reapplication of pavement markings.
“Honore Avenue and Old Farm Road are classified as thoroughfare roads within the county’s comprehensive plan. Under the existing conditions, the intersection of Honore Avenue and Old Farm Road is controlled by stop signs for all the approaches. During the peak periods, the intersection does not operate efficiently as the traffic entering the intersection has to stop before proceeding,” the county project webpage says.
There has been a steady growth of traffic in the area and the growth is expected to continue with additional residential developments in the area.
Traffic engineers typically cite improvements in safety, increasing traffic capacity by improving traffic flow for vehicles and pedestrians and traffic calming as reasons for converting traditional intersections into roundabouts.
To learn more about the planned roundabout, the county has scheduled an information meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 7461 Prospect Road, Sarasota. Although the mailing address is Sarasota, the church is in southern Manatee County.
Guests can view design boards and plans. Project staff also will be on hand to answer questions and provide other project-related information. There will be no formal presentation.
Guests may arrive any time between 6 and 8 p.m.
Mote Ranch is named after William Mote, who developed Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.
For more information about the planned roundabout, visit the project webpage.
