FDOT updates $47M Interstate 75/State Road 64 interchange project in Bradenton

BRADENTON -- The Florida Department of Transportation drew a small crowd to a public information workshop Thursday evening on plans to improve the $47 million Interstate 75/State Road 64 interchange project.

The work is estimated to take 2.2 years to complete.

Roughly 50 people -- a blend of FDOT staff and Manatee County residents -- filled a room inside The Source Church, 5412 East S.R. 64, Bradenton.

FDOT project manager Jeff Mednick said construction for the project will begin in summer 2017. He described the project as accommodating "future traffic growth in the area."

"We're wanting to have this interchange have an acceptable level of service well into the future," Mednick said.

Design plans include lengthening the ramps onto southbound I-75 so motorists will have more time to accelerate and merge, installing sidewalks on S.R. 64 underneath I-75 and adding 7-foot wide buffered bicycle lanes and 5-foot wide sidewalks along S.R. 64 for bicyclist and pedestrian safety.

"Right now, northbound on I-75, if you want to get onto (S.R.) 64, there are two exits. There's an exit A and an exit B. One for eastbound and one for westbound. We are eliminating the exit B," Mednick said. "Everyone getting on 64, either east or westbound, will exit at the same location."

FDOT spokesman Robin Stublen said some people thought the agency was going to expand the interchange to 10 lanes.

"That's not accurate," he said. "We're not going to be adding a bunch of lanes at this interchange."

After speaking with an FDOT official about the project, Warren Sponable, 65, walked into the church lobby holding a fact sheet with details on the project background and purpose. The retired truck driver said he has lived along Fourth Avenue Northeast near I-75 since 1981.

"I was concerned about how much more congestion this is going to cause. Is this going to alleviate congestion, or do I have to continue to hear these (truck) brakes?" Sponable said. "I can't sit out and listen to the birds in the morning. The road sounds like I'm living in the Daytona Speedway. ... if it's moving fast, it's noisy. If it's moving slow, it's noisy because then they're using the (truck) brakes."

Amaris Castillo, law enforcement/island reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7051. Follow her on Twitter@AmarisCastillo.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 11:17 PM with the headline "FDOT updates $47M Interstate 75/State Road 64 interchange project in Bradenton ."