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Law enforcement, mall officials prepare for traffic at Mall at UTC in Sarasota, FL… ‘Lawd have mercy on folks driving that area’

BY CLAIRE ARONSON via Bradenton.com

UNIVERSITY PARK — It promises to be the biggest tourist attraction in an area that is already full of them.

Local law enforcement is working to ensure that traffic patterns around the Mall at University Town Center remain as normal as possible during the attraction’s opening next month.

The Manatee County and Sarasota County sheriff’s office, Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol have been meeting with the mall’s management in past months to prepare for the mall’s Oct. 16 opening, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Captain Ron Locke said. The mall is located at the intersection of Interstate 75 and University Parkway in Sarasota County.

“I just think the people who plan on coming there should exercise patience as we are trying to make it the safest possible environment that we can,” Locke said.