Public Can Still Give Comments to FDOT on DeSoto Bridge Replacement

On Tuesday, a public hearing on the DeSoto Bridge Replacement Project Development & Environment Study was held at the Manatee County Fairgrounds to allow the community to express their views concerning the study from SR 64 (Manatee Avenue East) to Haben Boulevard in Manatee County. The presentation materials are available online, and citizens may still submit public comments to FDOT.

This study evaluates alternatives for an in-kind replacement of the DeSoto Bridge over the Manatee River. The project is 1.3 miles in length from SR 64 to Haben Boulevard, located within the Cities of Bradenton and Palmetto in Manatee County. Considering their social, economic, natural, and cultural effects, the study will determine where and how to build feasible alternatives for the new in-kind replacement bridge.

The current DeSoto Bridge was constructed in 1957. It provides 40 feet of vertical clearance over the river and has four lanes, two in each direction. The new bridge will be similar in length and profile to the existing one. It will also include wider inside and outside shoulders and a barrier separating a new shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists from vehicular traffic.

The Bradenton-Palmetto Connector Study will evaluate corridors to provide additional capacity and transportation demand across the Manatee River as part of the regional transportation system, specifically between the Cities of Bradenton and Palmetto and the numerous communities in western Manatee County.

A total of ten (10) corridors will be evaluated, including the US 41/DeSoto bridge corridor, during the Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) Study. To learn more about the future capacity improvements and the Bradenton-Palmetto Connector Study and/or give public comment, click here.