The Sarasota Polo Club has already set the day its Sunday season begins: December 20, 2026, gates at 10 a.m., first match at 1 p.m. No one can say the same about Polo Trail, the road that connects Polo Run to State Road 70. It has been closed to all vehicles since Monday, October 5, and the Florida Department of Transportation expects to reopen it, according to the MyMPO traffic watch, "in early November, weather permitting."
Those two kinds of date sum up the season around Polo Run. Event calendars are published and kept. Construction schedules come with conditions, and over the past year several of the ones closest to the neighborhood have slipped. If you plan the next few months around that difference, you'll have fewer surprises.
What Is Happening at the Gate
The Lakewood Ranch Beacon reported that the closure lets crews build the new westbound lanes of SR 70 and reconnect Polo Run's entrance and exit to the widened highway. Manatee County posted the notice on September 25. According to FDOT's weekly RoadWatch for October 11 through 17, crews at the entrance are grading, stabilizing and laying the curb pad at Polo Trail. They are also paving the future westbound roadway between Uihlein Road and Garnet Trail.
A full detour is in place, and message boards guide drivers through the area. The published notices don't list the detour turn by turn, so the message boards are the official guide. For questions, FDOT's community outreach representative for the project is Alice Ramos, at 941-290-6769 or [email protected].
A 30-day closure that began October 5 runs to about November 4. That is the earliest realistic reopening, and FDOT has attached the same weather condition to it as to everything else on this job.
Polo Run is not the only neighborhood affected. The main entrance to Panther Ridge, at SR 70 and 197th Street East, closed September 30 for about 45 days as part of the same work, the Pulse of Manatee reported.
Why "Weather Permitting" Matters This Month
The phrase is a real condition this October. Your Observer reported on October 9 that Manatee County had received nearly 4.5 inches of rain since October 1. That brought the county close to normal rainfall for the year after months of drought. That same rain already took a weekend away from one of the area's best-known fall events. The question is whether it also costs crews time at Polo Trail.
The Bigger Project Behind the Barrels
The Polo Trail closure is one step in FDOT's $67 million widening of a 3.1-mile stretch of SR 70 between Lorraine Road and Bourneside Boulevard. Construction began in early 2024. When it's finished, the current two-lane road will be a four- or six-lane divided highway, depending on the segment. The plans include:
- Roundabouts at Uihlein Road, Del Webb Boulevard and Bourneside Boulevard
- An upgraded signal at Lorraine Road and Greenbrook Boulevard
- Four bridges over the Braden River crossings
- 10-foot shared-use paths, new street lighting and landscaping
- Fiber-optic cable tying the signals into Manatee County's traffic management system
FDOT itself gives two finish dates. The project page still lists completion of the current phase as early 2027. The newer October RoadWatch says summer 2027. The weekly bulletin is the more recent of the two. For a resident, that means at least two more seasons of driving through a work zone.
The shared-use paths are what cyclists and walkers will notice first. Some of them look finished already. FDOT says they are not open:
"Although these areas may appear finished, construction activities are still ongoing. These areas are not open to the public and may contain open excavations, fresh asphalt, or uncured concrete."
The same bulletin says FDOT has seen cyclists and pedestrians on those paths and vehicles driving through closed side streets while workers were present. The paths are among the last parts of the project to open, even though they look ready.
The Pool Next Door Has Already Moved Once
The biggest new amenity near Polo Run shows how much these dates can move. Manatee County's $44 million Athletics and Aquatics Center at Premier Sports Campus North is at 16350 Rangeland Parkway, next to the Lakewood Ranch Library. In January, Your Observer reported a scheduled opening of September 2. That date has passed. Manatee County Director of Sports and Leisure Services Molly White told the Bradenton Herald this month that the county is "aiming for the end of December," and the Lakewood Ranch Beacon reported on October 12 that no exact opening date has been announced.
Here is what the Beacon reported about the facility once it opens:
| Feature | What has been announced |
|---|---|
| Competition pool | 50 meters, eight lanes lengthwise or about 18 across, built with Myrtha technology |
| Second pool | Smaller pool for lessons, therapy and recreation |
| Pickleball | 24 courts, 14 covered, plus a shaded practice wall |
| Lap swimming | Expected to be free under the county's pool-access policy |
| Pickleball fees | Expected $5 drop-in for two hours, $35 monthly membership |
| Proposed hours | Mon–Thu 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat–Sun 7 a.m.–4 p.m. |
Both pools are heated and cooled by a $1 million geothermal system, and both have accessibility lifts. Open-play pickleball sessions will be listed in the CourtReserve app, and county officials have said some courts will stay available for walk-up play. The county says hours, fees and programs will be confirmed when it announces the official opening. Until then, everything in the table is an expectation.
One opening-day plan has been reported. Lakewood Ranch Swim Association Lightning coach Steve Lubrino told Your Observer that the Lightning, the Parrish Bull Sharks and the Sarasota Tsunami plan a meet to coincide with the grand opening. Whenever the ribbon is cut, expect that day to be busy.
The Dates You Can Count On
The tournament schedule at Premier Sports Campus next door doesn't depend on construction. The Bradenton Gulf Islands venue calendar lists these events through November:
- USAFL Nationals 2026, October 17–18
- East U13 & U14 Qualifiers, October 23–26
- Sarasota Sunset Ultimate Classic, November 7–8
- American Women's Soccer Championship, November 8–14
- IWLCA Presidents Cup and Debut, November 20–22
- LIT Florida International 7s, November 28
Sarasota Paradise home matches are listed through November 27. Tournament weekends bring visiting teams and spectators to the campus, so they're worth knowing about when you plan a Saturday errand.
East of the neighborhood, Hunsader Farms canceled the first weekend of its Pumpkin Festival, October 10–11. Organizers said the grounds and parking areas were too wet to be safe. As of October 9, the remaining weekends are still on: October 17–18 and October 24–25. The farm sits between SR 70 and SR 64 on Waterbury Road. FDOT is also widening the stretch of SR 70 that ends at Waterbury Road, from Bourneside Boulevard east, with roundabouts planned at 197th Street East/Lindrick Lane, 213th Street East, 225th Street East/Panther Ridge Trail and County Road 675/Waterbury Road. Drivers who take SR 70 east toward the farm will pass through that work zone.
Then there's polo. The Sarasota Polo Club, at 8201 Polo Club Lane, plays Sunday matches from December 20, 2026, through April 11, 2027. Gates open at 10 a.m. and matches start at 1 p.m.
A Calendar With Two Kinds of Dates
Firm: the Hunsader weekends on October 17–18 and 24–25, the tournament weekends through November 28, and polo on December 20. Soft: Polo Trail in early November, the aquatics center in late December, and the full SR 70 widening in summer 2027. The aquatics center has already moved from September to December, and the highway's finish date has moved from early 2027 to summer 2027. Whether Polo Trail reopens on time depends mostly on a dry stretch of weather.
If the FDOT bulletins are hard to follow, I'm glad to help you make sense of them. I watch the SR 70 corridor closely because it shapes daily life in Polo Run and what homes there are worth, and I'm happy to talk through what the widening means for your home whenever it suits you. Gulf Coast Premier Properties is here when you're ready. Let's Connect.
