Sarasota News Leader

01/12/2026

The Florida Department of Transportation has issued an alert for drivers later this week, affecting the intersection of Clark Road and Rand Boulevard in Sarasota, as well as the entrance to Moonstone Drive:

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will temporarily close the eastbound turn lane onto Rand Boulevard from Clark Road and the entrance to Rand Boulevard starting at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, as crews complete demolition work and a concrete pour operation. The turn lane and entrance to Rand Boulevard will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Motorists can use Gantt Road to make a U-turn to access Hospitality Way and Soldier Circle while the entrance to Rand Boulevard is closed.

Further, on Thursday, Jan. 15, FDOT says that a temporary shoulder closure will be in place at the entrance to Moonstone Drive from westbound Clark Road. Additionally, the exit from Moonstone Drive will be closed through Friday morning, Jan. 16, while crews complete concrete work. Motorists wanting to exit the community may use Fielding Avenue.

Please use caution in and around the work area.

For real-time traffic updates, visit https://fl511.com/.

01/12/2026

Sarasota County staff has announced that the temporary repairs to Manasota Key Road, approximately 2,000 feet north of Blind Pass Beach Park, have been completed by the county's Capital Projects Department, so the road is open again to traffic.

The project entails hurricane debris removal, establishment of a new base, shoreline hardening, installation of asphalt pavement and pavement markings. Although the road opened on Saturday, Jan. 10, the advisory says, "intermittent lane closures may be required to complete additional work. Please use caution in the area and obey no parking signage."

The affected portion of the road was washed out by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. In March 2025, the Sarasota County commissioners directed staff to construct a temporary roadway while the design and permitting process for a permanent road is underway. Project work began in the fall 2025; it consisted of the reconstruction of a temporary road to restore access between the north and south ends of Manasota Key.

Below, on the left, is how the road appeared on Sept. 27, 2024, after Helene struck the barrier island. The second photo, posted this afternoon on the county's page, shows the temporary road.

01/08/2026

We wanted to share this information from the City of Sarasota about another big project that is taking place.

01/02/2026

Those of you who regularly drive on State Road 789 between downtown Sarasota and St. Armands and/or Longboat Key need to know about the construction that will begin on Monday, Jan. 5. This is an advisory from FDOT:

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will begin construction on S.R. 789 from Bird Key Drive to Sunset Drive in Sarasota on Monday, January 5, 2026. The project will include the addition of dedicated bicycle and transit lanes on the bridge, drainage upgrades, and raising the seawall cap near Sunset Drive. Among other project activities will be the resurfacing of the roadway throughout the project corridor and the installation of new traffic signals at the intersections of Sunset Drive, Golden Gate Drive, and Bird Key Drive. The project also includes relocating palm trees and small shrubs from their current locations on the eastern area of the John Ringling Causeway to medians closer to St. Armands Circle.

OnJan. 5, crews will begin mobilizing construction equipment, including delivery of machinery and materials, installing Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) signs and devices, temporary pedestrian paths around the work zone and clearing within the right of way and placing erosion-control devices.

Lane closures will be in place during various phases of the project. Initial pre-phase work involves building a temporary roadway for use during subsequent phases. This work will not impact existing travel lane configuration.

Construction will primarily take place during daytime hours, with occasional nighttime work. Expect noise from backup alarms, construction equipment, pumps, and power tools during daytime and nighttime operations.

During construction, the speed limit on Gulfstream Avenue and John Ringling Causeway (S.R. 789) will be reduced to 35 mph. Speeding fines are doubled in the construction zone when workers are present. Motorists are urged to drive cautiously and watch for workers, construction vehicles, pickup trucks, and other equipment entering or exiting travel lanes. The $12.3 million project is expected to be completed in early 2027.

01/01/2026

This is an aerial view of downtown Sarasota about 30 minutes before the Pineapple drop on New Year's Eve. Many thanks to the Sarasota Police Department (https://www.facebook.com/SarasotaPoliceDepartment) for this photo.

12/29/2025

The Sarasota Police Department is providing information about the New Year's Eve activities in downtown Sarasota in an effort to help everyone enjoy the holiday and remain safe:

The men and women of the Sarasota Police Department are encouraging residents and visitors to avoid driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and to refrain from discharging fi****ms in the air to celebrate the arrival of 2026.

The annual Pineapple Drop will take place at midnight in downtown Sarasota at the intersection of Lemon Avenue and Main Street, followed by a fireworks show over the Bayfront. The Sarasota Police Department asks those planning to attend the festivities to leave backpacks, coolers and alcohol at home.

Some individuals celebrate the arrival of the new year by firing a weapon into the air. This practice, known as celebratory gunfire, is dangerous and illegal. What goes up must come down. A bullet fired into the air will eventually fall and the unintended consequences can be tragic. It is against the law to discharge a firearm in the City of Sarasota. Violators can expect to be arrested.

If your holiday celebrations include consuming alcohol, make plans not to drive while impaired. Safer and less expensive transportation options include using a designated driver, taking a taxi or using AAA’s free Tow to Go service. In Sarasota, Tow to Go is available by calling 1-855-2-TOW-2-GO (1-855-286-9246). Tow to Go is available through 6 a.m. Friday, Jan. 2. The Sarasota Police Department will have an increased presence and there will be zero tolerance for impaired driving.

Several roads will be closed for the annual Pineapple Drop on Dec. 31, 2025. Vehicles not removed by the posted time will be towed at the owner’s expense. For information on towed vehicles, call Upman’s Towing at 941-365-7084.

Drivers should expect traffic delays on Bayfront Drive, the John Ringling Bridge and throughout downtown beginning around 6 p.m. on Dec. 31. The following road closures will be in effect for the Pineapple Drop between Dec. 29, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026:

4 a.m. Dec. 30 to 4 a.m. Jan. 1:
Pineapple Avenue from First Street to the roundabout
First Street from Pineapple Avenue to Central Avenue
Central Avenue from First Street to the roundabout

4 a.m. Dec. 31 to 9 a.m. Jan. 1:
Main Street from Orange Avenue to Palm Avenue
Lemon Avenue from First Street to State Street

12/21/2025

Planning on buying your child an e-bike this Christmas? Please read this important guest column from the Florida Bicycle Association.

Copyright © 2012-25 – The Sarasota News Leader. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission of the publisher.

12/20/2025

https://wp.me/p2mGzH-jut

This letter to the editor is getting an extraordinary number of views:

Copyright © 2012-25 – The Sarasota News Leader. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission of the publisher.

12/12/2025

The inside eastbound lane of Clark Road from west of the Honore Avenue intersection to just west of the Gantt Road intersection will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 17, through Dec. 23, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has announced.

The closure is necessary so crews can construct a concrete median separator, and a curb and gutter, an FDOT advisory explains.

Thus, only two through lanes remain open on eastbound Clark Road in that area, the advisory points out.

“Motorists may wish to avoid the area or allow for additional travel time,” FDOT adds.

The length of the affected part of Clark Road is 0.44 miles, as shown on an FDOT project webpage. On that page, FDOT says the full initiative involves milling, resurfacing and the installation of curbs, gutters, drainage and pavement markings on Clark Road (State Road 72) from Honore Avenue to west of Gantt Road. The project’s estimated cost is $5 million, with completion expected in mid-2026.

For real-time traffic updates, visit https://fl

12/10/2025

For everyone who read about the situation with the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge earlier this afternoon, we have great news from the county:


Repairs to the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge have been completed. The bridge has returned to normal operations. Thank you to the community for your patience while the repairs were completed.

12/10/2025

Another beloved holiday tradition in Sarasota County will take place this weekend:

“Sarasota Bay will come alive with festive lights and holiday cheer this Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m.,” as the 39th Annual Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade of Lights takes place, the nonprofit Suncoast Charities for Children has announced.

Thirty “brightly decorated boats will glide past Marina Jack and Bayfront Park, creating a dazzling display for families and visitors of all ages,” a news release notes.

The best viewing, the release points out, will be from Bayfront Park, located at 5 Bayfront Drive, on the west side of U.S. 41 in downtown Sarasota.” No admission fee is required.

“This annual event is organized by Suncoast Charities for Children, in partnership with Marina Jack and City of Sarasota,” the release explains. Members of the public are “encouraged to spread holiday joy by making a cash donation, which will be matched up to $10,000,” the release adds, “thanks to the generosity” of The Reinhart Foundation.

Alternatively, donations of new, unwrapped books and toys for children up to age 12 will be welcome, the release points out.
Cash donations may be made online at suncoastcharitiesforchildren.org, the release notes, while donation boxes are located at Marina Jack Restaurant, O’Leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill in the City of Sarasota’s Bayfront Park, Lake Michigan Credit Union, and the Starbucks standing at 5329 Fruitville Road.

Suncoast Charities for Children provides funding support for “critical programs and services” offered by Children First, The Haven, The Florida Center for Early Childhood, the Loveland Center, the Special Olympics, and Venice Challenger Baseball, the release adds.

“This holiday tradition is about more than lights and boats,” said Lucy Nicandri, executive director of Suncoast Charities for Children, in the release. “It is about bringing joy to local children, teens, and adults with special needs and their families,” she added.

“We’re grateful to Nick and Jourdan Reinhart, of The Reinhart Foundation, for helping us maximize every donation, ensuring the holidays are brighter for so many in our community,” Nicandri also noted.

For more information, visit suncoastcharitiesforchildren.org.

12/10/2025

This is very important information from Sarasota County staff about the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge. It was just released a short while ago:

Urgent repairs are underway on the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge to replace critical bearings in its opening and closing mechanism.

This work may take several days.

The bridge may be closed to traffic intermittently because of the difficulty of removing the shaft.

When possible, the bridge will be opened manually during repairs.

Boaters may experience delays while crews work to replace the bearings.

Motorists are encouraged to use Albee Road Bridge.