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Toledo Blade Expansion Enters Final Phase

Toldeo Blade Blvd. Expansion To Finish Before Year End.

Breaking ground in 2007 the five-mile project expands Toledo Blade Blvd. to four lanes from Cranberry Blvd. to US 41, reducing traffic congestion. Officials estimate that the project will be complete by mid-December. The improvements make it possible to develop two important community landmarks along the roadway: a new 45,000 square foot Publix shopping center and a 75,000-square-foot medical park with an emergency room that will be administered by Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

More than 75% of the overall expansion project has been completed. Lighting, curbs and crosswalks are installed, and the sidewalks are 85% complete. Still to come are median landscaping, signage, and several gazebos for the convenience of pedestrians.

In addition to widening the road, the project makes improvements to six intersections along the corridor, expands utilities and city water mains, rebuilds and resurfaces existing roadways, builds two new bridges and adds decorative elements establishing a new gateway for the City of North Port.

Benderson Development and Neal Communities developed the project under a reimbursement agreement with the City of North Port, based on an understanding that the use of a private/public cooperative process could create a faster, less expensive project. With the cooperation of Charlotte County, the project was extended into Charlotte to complete the widening of this evacuation route between I-75 and U.S. 41. The project was designed by Wilson Miller.

Pictured L to R: Pat Neal and Dale Weidemiller of Neal Communities; Mitch McKnight, P.E. of Wilson Miller; Louis Merucci of Gigliotti Contracting; North Port Commissioner David Garofalo; North Port Commissioner Vanessa Carusone; North Port Commissioner Michael Treubert; Randy Lanier of APAC Southeast; Brian Barnes, P.E. of Charlotte County; Randy Hill of APAC Southeast; Dave Carney of Benderson Development; Michael Edge of Allied Engineering & Testing; Ben Newman of the City of North Port.