Polo Run residents will lose their State Road 70 entrance for about 30 days starting Monday, Oct. 5. The Florida Department of Transportation is closing Polo Trail so crews can build new westbound lanes and reconnect the gated community to the widened highway.

No vehicles will be allowed on Polo Trail during the closure, according to FDOT's project page. A full detour will be in place, and message boards will guide drivers through the area. The road is expected to reopen in early November, weather permitting.

Closure tied to State Road 70 widening

Manatee County government posted the closure notice Sept. 25, saying the work is needed to connect Polo Run's entrance and exit to the newly widened section of State Road 70. Polo Run sits on State Road 70 east of Uihlein Road, near the Premier Sports Campus.

The closure is the latest disruption from FDOT's $67 million project to widen a 3.1-mile stretch of State Road 70 between Lorraine Road and Bourneside Boulevard. The project is converting the two-lane undivided road into a four- or six-lane divided highway, depending on the segment. Construction began in early 2024.

Panther Ridge entrance also closing

Polo Trail is not the only neighborhood entrance affected. The main entrance to Panther Ridge at State Road 70 and 197th Street East closes Wednesday, Sept. 30, for roughly 45 days as part of the same project, the Pulse of Manatee reported.

What the full corridor project includes

The broader State Road 70 corridor project also includes roundabouts at Uihlein Road, Del Webb Boulevard and Bourneside Boulevard, plus four bridges over Braden River crossings and 10-foot shared-use paths. New street lighting, a drainage system and a fiber-optic network linking signalized intersections to Manatee County's traffic management system are also part of the plan.

Your Observer reported the overall State Road 70 corridor effort carries a $98.4 million price tag. FDOT estimates the full project will wrap up by summer 2027, weather permitting.

Residents with questions can contact FDOT community outreach representative Alice Ramos at 941-290-6769 or [email protected].