Drivers who use 63rd Avenue East will need to find another way through starting Monday.

Manatee County is shutting down a section of 63rd Avenue East between Tuttle Avenue/39th Street East and 33rd Street East for five days, from Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 6. The full road closure is for utility connections tied to the widening project underway along the corridor, according to a county post on X on Oct. 29.

The closure falls within the larger 63rd Avenue East Roadway Improvement Project, a 1.12-mile effort to widen the road from two lanes to four between U.S. 301 and Tuttle Avenue. The project carries a price tag of $65,633,047, funded through Manatee County's Capital Improvement Program, MySuncoast reported in July.

County commissioners approved the project June 16, and construction began July 14.

What the finished road will look like

The widened road will add capacity for an estimated 10,000 vehicles per day, according to MySuncoast. Planned upgrades include a center turn lane west of Prospect Road, a raised median east of Prospect Road, buffered bicycle lanes, sidewalks on both sides, street lighting and new traffic signals at 33rd Street and Tuttle Avenue, according to a Manatee County announcement in July.

District 4 Commissioner Mike Rahn called the project "a major investment in the future of Manatee County's transportation network" in the county's July announcement.

Other closures in the area

The five-day shutdown is not the only disruption along the corridor. Prospect Road is closed for storm pipe installation and is expected to remain closed through late December, according to the county's project website. Access to Prospect Road is available from the south. Separately, 63rd Avenue East has had alternating one-way traffic in place since Oct. 1, with that pattern expected to continue through Dec. 30, according to Manatee County Public Works road-closure data.

Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting, with after-hours operations as needed, according to the project website.

The overall project is expected to take about two years, with a substantial completion date of June 3, 2028. It is one of Manatee County's "Big 6" priority transportation projects.

Residents can follow construction updates at the county's project website or call the project hotline at (941) 708-7432.