After years of studying transportation alternatives between Bradenton and Palmetto, the Florida Department of Transportation has identified a new DeSoto Bridge and elevated express lanes as its preferred alternative for improving traffic across the Manatee River.
The proposed Bradenton-Palmetto Connector project is estimated to cost approximately $916 million and would include a new six-lane DeSoto Bridge along with two elevated express lanes designed to carry through-traffic above portions of Bradenton and Palmetto.
The project area extends from U.S. 301 at Ninth Street East in Bradenton to U.S. 41 and continues north along U.S. 41 to 25th Street East in Palmetto. FDOT says the improvements are intended to address traffic capacity, future transportation demand and safety throughout the corridor.
Under the preferred alternative, the existing 62-foot-wide DeSoto Bridge would eventually be replaced with a structure more than twice as wide. Plans call for three general-purpose travel lanes in each direction, shared-use paths for pedestrians and bicyclists on both sides and two buffer-separated express lanes in the center.
The express lanes would continue on elevated structures north and south of the Manatee River, allowing some regional traffic to bypass local intersections in downtown Bradenton and Palmetto. FDOT documents indicate the elevated express lanes could potentially be tolled.
Roadways approaching the bridge would also be widened to six general-purpose travel lanes, with additional accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists.
FDOT estimates about 40% of daily traffic traveling through the corridor does not stop in Bradenton or Palmetto. Local officials have said separating some of that through-traffic from vehicles making local trips could reduce congestion on surface streets and create opportunities for pedestrian and safety improvements.
The study initially considered about 10 corridors and alternatives before narrowing the possibilities to three. Other alternatives were eliminated based on factors including property impacts, environmental effects, costs and public feedback.
FDOT plans to take a phased approach to the project. Interim improvements would focus first on expanding the DeSoto Bridge and the corridor between State Road 64 in Bradenton and the CSX railroad north of the river. The long-term plan would add the elevated free-flow lanes through portions of Bradenton and Palmetto.
A no-build alternative also remains under consideration. Under that option, major capacity improvements would be postponed until at least 2045, while existing congestion and transportation challenges would continue to be addressed through other measures.
Public comments gathered during the project development process will be submitted to FDOT’s Office of Environmental Management. If the study receives environmental approval, the project can advance into the design phase.
Funding remains a major hurdle. Future phases of the approximately $916 million project have not yet been funded, meaning construction of the full Bradenton-Palmetto Connector remains dependent on future transportation funding and additional project development.
