May 24th, 2013 marks the official ribbon-cutting for North Cattlemen Road in Sarasota, off of University Parkway. The Sarasota County Commission awarded $14.5 Million to extend North Cattlemen Road from Richardson to Desoto roads and to make  related improvements and provide a new north-south alternative to Interstate 75 by supplying the missing link to connect University Parkway to the north with Proctor Road to the south.

 The project built about 2.75 miles of a four-lane divided urban roadway with medians from Richardson to Desoto roads. It also included realignment of a land bridge along Nathan Benderson Park to provide better access to the park and increase the size of the lake to accommodate a world-class 2,000-meter rowing facility. WRA  has been working  in association with Benderson Development Co. on this project since 2011. The ribbon-cutting means that the road will now finally be open to the public. The ceremony will take place at 10am on Friday, May 24th, 2013 on Cattlemen Road (entering from University Parkway).