Massive amount of state road and bridge projects underway in Manatee
L. K. Nandem took a Manatee Chamber of Commerce headliners luncheon on a statistics filled tour of Bradenton area transportation construction projects Monday, and topped it off with a sci-fi-tinged look at the future.
Those projects, aimed at safety and relieving congestion, include Interstate 75 and its interchanges at Moccasin Wallow, U.S. 301, State Road 64, and State Road 70, where nearly a quarter billion dollars in improvements are underway or planned. That’s on top of the University Parkway diverging diamond, which cost $75 million.
Eventually, I-75 in Manatee County and Sarasota will have managed lanes, also called express lanes, to help manage the growing traffic load.
Nandem, district secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation, also touched on three planned roundabouts on State Road 64 which are envisioned at Rye Road, Lorraine Road, and Greyhawk Landing.
The first of the roundabouts, at Rye Road, is planned for completion in fiscal year 2019 at a cost of $5.6 million. The other two roundabouts are still in the planning process.
Nandem’s report seemed to have something for residents in virtually every part of the county.
Among them, high flying replacements for the Cortez and Anna Maria bridges, which are now in the planning and engineering phase at a combined cost of more than $12 million, and a replacement for the DeSoto Bridge.
A flyover, or elevated bridge replacement for the DeSoto Bridge has not been ruled out, despite heated opposition from nearby residents who would be most affected.
The flyover concept is still being evaluated in an FDOT project development and environmental study.
Also in the works: a barrier island traffic study due for completion in late 2019, and a central Manatee network alternative analysis for the Bradenton and Palmetto downtown areas due in early 2019.
FDOT is also studying the future of transportation, beyond the immediate projects needed to prevent gridlock.
Among those anticipated changes are planning for self-driving vehicles, and new types of ride sharing, where selected buildings could have a look reminiscent of an airport terminal, he said.
To help study the needs of the future, SunTrax, a large-scale, cutting-edge facility dedicated to the research, development and testing of emerging transportation technologies in safe and controlled environments, is being developed off I-4 between Orlando and Tampa.
The first phase of SunTrax is expected to open in April of 2019. The 400-acre research facility will feature a 2.25 oval track for high-speed testing, and a 200-acre infield for testing emerging technology, including autonomous vehicles, according to the SunTrax web site.
Monday’s headliners luncheon was held at the Courtyard by Marriott Bradenton Riverfront.
This story was originally published November 5, 2018 at 3:09 PM.