FDOT schedules public meeting for Feb. 11 in Sarasota
On Feb. 11, District One staff of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will conduct a public workshop regarding proposed changes to design plans for improvements to Interstate 75 from south of Bee Ridge Road to south of Fruitville Road in Sarasota County, the state agency has announced.
FDOT is holding this workshop to allow interested persons the opportunity to provide comments concerning an alternate proposal for the Bee Ridge Road interchange at I-75, an FDOT news release says.
The $7.8-million project is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2017, according to FDOT. It covers 3.8 miles.
In 2011, the Federal Highway Administration approved a preferred alternative from the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study of I-75 from south of State Road 681 to north of University Parkway in Sarasota and Manatee counties, the release explains. At the I-75/Bee Ridge Road interchange, that preferred alternative maintained the existing partial cloverleaf interchange but added turn lanes on the northbound and southbound I-75 off-ramps, the release points out. It also included the widening of Bee Ridge Road from four to six lanes in each direction and the addition of turn lanes at the Bee Ridge Road/Cattlemen Road intersection.
“During the design phase, traffic simulations indicated that the preferred alternative would result in excessive delay and queuing,” the release says. “To address this issue, FDOT developed a modified design proposal that includes reconstructing I-75 at the Bee Ridge Road interchange from the existing diamond configuration to a hybrid diverging diamond interchange and southbound diversion ramp,” the release adds. FDOT would also rebuild the Bee Ridge Road/Cattlemen Road intersection to make it a continuous-flow intersection, the release notes. The hybrid diverging diamond interchange, the southbound diversion ramp and the continuous-flow intersection would work in conjunction with each other to accommodate the traffic at the I-75/Bee Ridge Road interchange and the Bee Ridge Road/Cattlemen Road intersection, “which are in very close proximity to each other,” the release points out.
The proposal still includes the widening of I-75 from south of Bee Ridge Road to south of Fruitville Road and the widening of about 1 mile of Bee Ridge Road, the release says.
The public workshop will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11, at the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, located at 2320 Cattlemen Road in Sarasota.
FDOT representatives will be available beginning at 5 p.m. to answer questions, review proposed design plans and project-related materials that will be on display, and discuss the project informally, the release adds.
FDOT will accept written comments at the workshop, as well as those mailed to Kevin Ingle, FDOT project manager, at 801 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL 33831; and those sent by email to kevin.ingle@dot.state.fl.us. All comments must be postmarked by Monday, Feb. 22, to become part of the public record, the release points out.
Draft project documents will be available for public review through Feb. 22 at the Fruitville Public Library, located at 100 Coburn Road in Sarasota, and on the project website, www.swflroads.com/i75/beeridgerdtofruitvillerd.