Why a Florida city is slapping a traffic light onto a brand-new roundabout — and making the whole project pointless

Sarasota County, Florida, has turned a $9 million, 13-month roundabout project into a four-way stop after just six months, installing traffic lights at every entrance of the new Apex Road and Palmer Boulevard roundabout off I-75.

The move comes despite the roundabout opening as recently as January 2026, following 2024 approval and construction.

Locals say the congestion problem isn’t even at the roundabout but 900 feet up Palmer Boulevard at a traditional traffic light.

Critics argue the lights erase the roundabout’s traffic-smoothing benefits and waste taxpayer money, while the split lanes and confusing lane markings add to driver confusion.

The county’s decision to retrofit the roundabout with stoplights has left residents baffled and the project’s purpose unclear.