Sunshine Skyway tolls to fund East Manatee roundabout construction

EAST MANATEE -- A proposed roundabout for State Road 64 at Rye Road now has an identified funding source for construction.

Revenue from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge will fund the roundabout's construction in 2018, Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Robin Stublen said.

Per state statute, FDOT may request the Division of Bond Finance to issue bonds secured by toll revenues collected on certain roadways or bridges, which includes the Skyway, to "fund transportation projects located within the county or counties in which the project is located and contained in the adopted work program of the department."

While the toll revenues would be used toward construction, district-allocated state funds are programed toward design this year and

right-of-way acquisition in 2017, according to Stublen.

During the project development and environment study now underway, a traffic signal instead of the roundabout will also be considered.

"We anticipate to have a workshop sometime in late April or early May," Stublen said. "No date has been determined at this time. People will be able to give their opinions and comments during the public workshop."

The commission discussed possible roadway improvements at the intersection during a worksession in January.

During the worksession, FDOT told commissioners that design is programmed for fiscal year 2016 at $1 million and construction is programmed for fiscal year 2018 at $3 million.

Roundabouts are "actually safer for pedestrians because you are reducing the speed," L.K. Nandam with FDOT said at the worksession.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 11:42 PM with the headline "Sunshine Skyway tolls to fund East Manatee roundabout construction ."