Panther Ridge residents will lose their primary entrance for 45 days when the Florida Department of Transportation shuts down 197th Street East at State Road 70 to build a roundabout.

Roundabout project spans seven intersections

The closure is part of a $98.4 million project to widen SR-70 and build seven roundabouts between Uihlein Road and 79th Avenue. Some residents will face round-trips of up to 40 miles for basic errands like grocery shopping, according to the East County Observer. Neither FDOT's project materials nor the Observer's Sept. 15 report includes a specific start date for the closure.

Agency shortened timeline, dropped partial access

FDOT originally planned a 60-day timeline that would have kept one lane of the Panther Ridge entrance open throughout construction. The agency switched to a 45-day schedule that requires a full shutdown instead.

Neighborhood lacks alternate access points

Resident Bruce Kasper said a trip to the grocery store using the neighborhood's only alternative exit will be about a 40-mile round-trip. Fellow resident Bruce Roberts said other communities along the SR-70 corridor have had access points west toward Interstate 75 or north toward University Parkway.

Panther Ridge does not.

"From where Bruce [Kasper] lives, he has to drive 12 miles out of his way to end up right back here [at 197th Street]," Roberts said. "That's going to be roughly 13 miles for me because I live on the other side of Panther Ridge."

Residents question emergency vehicle response times

Sharon Kasper raised concerns about emergency vehicle access during the closure. Emergency vehicles will be the only ones allowed to use 197th Street while the road is shut down. Sharon Kasper said the neighborhood's concerns about emergency vehicle delays have gone largely unanswered by FDOT.

FDOT has not responded to inquiries

The Observer reported it reached out to FDOT by phone and email multiple times over more than a week and did not receive a response. FDOT's project communications contact is Alice Ramos.

Nearby entrance set to reopen this week

Across the street from Panther Ridge, the entrance to The Concession at Lindrick Lane was expected to reopen the week of Sept. 15 after its own roughly two-month closure for roundabout construction on the opposite side of SR-70, according to FDOT's project page.

Wider corridor project targets 2027 completion

The broader SR-70 construction project, which began in 2024, covers widening, drainage, shared-use paths, street lighting and landscaping. The segment from Bourneside Boulevard to County Road 675 carries a $31.4 million construction cost. FDOT estimates the full project will be completed by summer 2027.

Residents can contact FDOT project communications at 863-797-7202.