Panther Ridge’s main entrance at State Road 70 and 197th Street East closes September 30 for about 45 days while FDOT builds a roundabout tied to the SR 70 widening project. Emergency vehicles will keep access through 197th Street, but regular traffic gets detoured until the roundabout work wraps.
Residents are split, and understandably so. Longtime neighbor Bruce Kasper summed up the frustration: an hour to go to Publix, an hour to get a pizza pie. Others point to the safety record on SR 70, where years of serious crashes pushed the roundabout plan forward in the first place. The full project, which includes more roundabouts, sidewalks and expanded lanes, is scheduled to finish in summer 2027.
For thousands of daily drivers, the closure means longer commutes, slower deliveries and new routes through a fast-growing part of Manatee County. FDOT hasn’t said whether residential access during peak hours is possible.
What’s your biggest concern with the closure: emergency response times, your daily errands, or the long wait until 2027? Let us know.
