A new Interstate 75 stop for Manatee County? A Florida highway plan is in motion
A new highway interchange that provides easier access to Interstate 75 for Parrish residents could be coming soon.
The $5 million appropriation is the latest round of state funding approved for the I-75 and Fort Hamer Road interchange after the project received another $7.5 million last year. Project documents say the interchange will help relieve regional traffic, connect east and west corridors and improve evacuation routes.
The latest round of funding will help advance the interchange’s design. According to the funding document, construction on the interchange could start in 2028 and be completed in 2030.
While the project is primarily located in Hillsborough County, it will connect to Manatee County through a possible Fort Hamer Road extension. A spokesperson for Manatee County Government said the county supports the interchange, but does not plan to help fund it.
FDOT plans new I-75 interchange
To connect to the proposed interchange, Fort Hamer Road would need to be extended from Buckeye Road to the county line. The extension is included in the county’s long-range plan, but funding has not been allocated through the capital improvement plan.
If the interchange at I-75 received full funding through construction, the county may consider funding the Manatee County portion of the Fort Hamer Road extension, the county spokesperson said.
In response to some concerns raised on social media about how this interchange may attract more development, Commissioner Tal Siddique said he sees it as a project to respond to growth, not attract it.
“There’s certainly always fears about new infrastructure inviting new growth, but the reality is …you’re more responding to growth with a project like this than you are trying to pre-plan,” Siddique said.
Neal Land & Neighborhoods partnered with Manatee County to construct pieces of Fort Hamer Road in the past, and an official with Neal previously told the Bradenton Herald that Fort Hamer Road would extend north to the Hillsborough County line.
Improvements planned for Fort Hamer Road
While the Fort Hamer Road northern extension is still to be determined, the county does have improvements for the existing Fort Hamer Road in its capital improvement plan. According to the project’s website, the total cost for design is $11.5 million.
The 3.8-mile-long project spans from Upper Manatee River Road to U.S. 301. The existing two-lane roadway will be converted to a four-lane, divided roadway and will include four 11-foot travel lanes, 6-foot bike lanes in each direction and a 6-foot sidewalk. There will also be a 10-foot shared-use path on the west side.
A new bridge will also be built as part of the improvements, providing an additional two lanes across the Manatee River.
“These improvements are intended to increase capacity to accommodate future travel demands projected as a result of area-wide population and employment growth,” the project website states. “Additional goals of the improvements include enhancing safety conditions and accommodating multimodal activity.
The design phase of these improvements is expected to last until late 2026.
