When will this busy Manatee County road be expanded? It could take a while
Despite continued traffic concerns raised by Manatee County commissioners and residents, Lorraine Road improvements are still years from reality.
While debating recent projects like the new high school coming to Lakewood Ranch and the Penler affordable housing project, some commissioners raised concerns about Lorraine Road’s ability to handle more traffic. But the county’s plan to expand the north-south road between State Road 64 and State Road 70 is at a standstill.
According to a spokesperson for Manatee County Government, the project design to take Lorraine from two lanes to four is complete. Construction costs are estimated to be more than $117 million, but there is no funding for this project in the county’s five-year plan.
When the Board of County Commissioners discussed the county’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) in September, they voted 6-1 to adjust some projects. Commissioner Bob McCann — whose district includes Lorraine Road — voted against the changes that kept funding away from the Lorraine Road enhancements.
“Well, obviously, I’d like to see Lorraine Road built before I become a spirit in the sky,” McCann said at the September meeting. “And it seems like it keeps getting pushed back and pushed back and pushed back.”
When reached for comment, McCann said Lorraine Road continues to be his top priority but, the project to make Lorraine Road four lanes might not come until 2031.
“It really does need to be built. It is not only a safety issue, but, the thing is…if you put any more cars on that road, you’re going to just have gridlock,” McCann said.
He said, with the new high school planned nearby, and developments continuing to be approved around Lorraine Road, he hopes Lorraine Road will become a higher priority for the county.
“I’m going to push for it as much as I can,” McCann said, adding that the upcoming elections might also bring new commissioners..
Commissioner Jason Bearden and the late Commissioner Carol Ann Felts routinely voiced the same concerns as McCann about the capacity of Lorraine Road, urging the need for an expansion before more development is added around the road.
Lorraine Road funding remains uncertain
The county’s CIP is a five-year plan that allocates funding to large projects like new government buildings, roads and flood management.
According to Ogden Clark, a communications coordinator for the county, there are no funds in the CIP for Lorraine Road. That means no funding has been identified from fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2030.
However, the board evaluates the CIP every year and can adjust or remove projects.
“This annual exercise means there is a possibility that the full project, or segments of it, could be funded during that process before 2031,” Clark said in an email to the Bradenton Herald.
In September, the board voted on a restructure of the CIP, which did not include funding for Lorraine Road.
Instead, there’s funding for other projects like roundabouts at Carter Road and Sawgrass Road, 60th Avenue East improvements and bridge replacements. Commissioners considered four funding options for the CIP, one of which included fully funding the Lorraine Road expansion. To do so, the board would have needed to cut 32 other projects from the funding plan.
Kruse said he preferred the CIP funding go toward maintaining existing projects rather than building new ones.
“You can’t build new ‘assets’ until you’ve proven you’ve got the financial wherewithal and ability to maintain the stuff you’ve already built,” Kruse said. “That’s doing a disservice to this community.”
Others, like Commissioner Tal Siddique, wondered if impact fees could help fund Lorraine Road in the future.
“How much of Lorraine could we fund with just impact fees? Because we’re increasing them significantly. And if we’re putting money into this project…with the argument that growth is the reason for this widening, then growth should pay for it,” Siddique said.
Scott May, an engineer for Manatee County Government, said the option the board chose was the most cost-effective, but said Lorraine Road is still a project that’s needed in the future. He agreed that impact fees could help bring the improvements to fruition sooner.
“The only reason is, not saying that Lorraine isn’t something that needs to be done out here, but at the cost of what it is, at 50% of the budget…you take away too much for one project at the moment,” May said at the September meeting.
