FDOT Seeks Public Input on Major Redesign of I-75 Interchange in North Manatee County
The Florida Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans to transform the I-75 and Moccasin-Wallow Road interchange in north Manatee County and is launching a public process to gather community feedback on the proposed redesign.
Officials with FDOT are presenting a Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) study that outlines significant changes to the current traffic configuration at the busy Suncoast corridor interchange. The plan calls for converting the existing standard diamond interchange to a diverging diamond design, a layout that briefly shifts traffic to the opposite side of the road to improve flow and reduce conflict points. In addition, a braided ramp — where one ramp crosses over another to separate merging movements — is proposed between I-275 and Moccasin-Wallow Road to improve connectivity and safety.
FDOT leaders say the design changes are intended to make travel into and out of Manatee County safer and more efficient as traffic volumes continue to grow. The diverging diamond configuration has been used in other regional projects to reduce congestion and lower the potential for collisions by simplifying signal phases and reducing turning conflicts.
Residents living near the interchange have an opportunity to learn more and provide input at a public hearing currently underway. Local stakeholders have expressed both curiosity and optimism about the project’s potential to ease congestion in an area that has long faced traffic challenges.
The public engagement phase is part of FDOT’s broader efforts to plan and implement roadway improvements across the I-75 corridor in response to continued development and population growth in the region.