Bee Ridge Public Works Begins Payoff

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 15th, 2016 – Some relief in vehicular traffic is in sight for residents of Lake Sarasota, Hammocks and the golf communities of Laurel Oaks and Bent Tree. The widening of Bee Ridge Road, a main access to their locality, is expected to wind up in July 2016.

Started in 2014, this $22 million project covers a 2.68-mile eastward stretch of Bee Ridge from Interstate 75 between Mauna Loa Boulevard and Iona Road. Its completion turns this section into a four-lane roadway divided by a landscaped median.

Besides a 10-foot sidewalk on its southern side, this upgraded Bee Ridge length also features three roundabouts, bicycle lanes, LEED street lighting and landscaping. Utility improvements have been undertaken as well, including re-layout of water and sewer force mains. All private utilities were also relocated, and a lift station was constructed.

More Improvements Forthcoming

More communities are likewise expected to benefit from other Bee Ridge Road construction projects that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has initiated recently. In January 2016, the department started additional public works along Bee Ridge westward from Dunn Drive to South Osprey Avenue.

This project calls for drainage improvement, road resurfacing, sidewalk construction and the addition of 11 refuge islands to allow safe space and better visibility for pedestrians crossing Bee Ridge. The FDOT anticipates that this project costing $17 million will be completed in the summer of 2017.

The department likewise is set to implement its “hybrid diverging diamond” planned for the I-75 exit at Bee Ridge Road. This project calls for the widening of I-75 from six to eight lanes towards south starting from Fruitville Road to the interchange at Bee Ridge. Relocating the I-75 ramp onto Cattlemen Road is also on the department’s drawing boards to improve traffic flow in this area. The target for completion of this project, for which inputs from local residents have been considered in public meetings, is also eyed in summer 2017.

Lake Sarasota Feels Ripple Effects

Sarasota homes for sale along the periphery of Bee Ridge appear already getting some positive vibes from its current and forthcoming upgrades and improvements. In Lake Sarasota, which sits east of Mauna Loa Boulevard just off south of Bee Ridge, the residential market has been remarkably vibrant since the beginning of 2016, some 40 homes were sold here since January 2016 and three Lake Sarasota listings were recently added in the MLS of Sarasota homes for sale.

Of course, it helps too that this community’s convenient Bee Ridge location combines with home affordability and its family-friendly atmosphere. The new listings of Lake Sarasota homes for sale are priced in the high $100s and the low $200s, with a choice on two or three bedrooms within floor areas ranging from approximately 1,000 square feet up to 1,650+ square feet.

Comprised of more than 1,000 homes, Lake Sarasota mostly features ranch-style Florida houses constructed in the 1970s and the 1980s. Prospective buyers can also find dwellings of more recent construction including two-story choices. The homes in this community come in varied colors and finishes, such as stone exteriors, fiber-cement, stucco, and wood. Choice residences have swimming pools and spacious floor plans designed with five or more bedrooms.

This community took its name from the body of water that it shares on its southeastern border with the Bent Tree Country Club. Within Lake Sarasota, there are three smaller lakes which meld with the pines, mature oaks, and tall palms of the community’s landscaping. These give the neighborhood a charming Old Florida atmosphere that nonetheless share an urban feel from the nearby Bee Ridge Road and its tabled improvements.