New Roundabout Opens At U.S. 41, Fruitville Road Intersection

SARASOTA, FL — Sarasota’s newest roundabout has opened at U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road, the city announced on Twitter Monday.

The city has installed eight single-lane roundabouts in downtown Sarasota and other areas over the past decade, Jason Bartolone, the city’s communications specialist, wrote in an email. Two additional new roundabouts are “open to traffic but still being finalized” at the intersections of U.S. 41 and 10th and 14th streets, he added.

The Florida Department of Transportation plans to begin construction of another roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue next year.

“Numerous plans and studies done by a whole generation of professionals have affirmed that roundabouts improve traffic flow and represent the community’s vision for downtown Sarasota,” Bartolone wrote.

Roundabouts were first identified by the city’s 1999-2000 Downtown Master Plan. Additional locations for roundabouts were identified by the 2002-2003 Downtown Mobility Study and the Bayfront Connectivity Study.

These plans were designed after reviewing public input and hosting dozens of community meetings, he wrote. The public feedback requested safety enhancements “for pedestrians and bicyclists wishing to cross U.S. 41 and access the bayfront, while still maintaining traffic flow and volume.”