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FDOT Pledges $5 million for Broadway roundabout; Longboat Key to cover landscaping, extras
Summary
Florida Department of Transportation told Longboat Key and Manatee County officials it will contribute more than $5 million to build a Broadway roundabout and associated complete-street improvements, but the town will pay for landscaping, brick pavers and some utility relocations as the design advances.
Florida Department of Transportation has committed “over $5,000,000” to construct a roundabout at Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive, and to bring forward construction sooner than expected, Longboat Key staff told the Manatee County Commission at their joint meeting.
Town Assistant Manager Isaac Brownman said the scope has expanded from a single roundabout into a “roundabout and a complete street project” covering about a 2,000-foot segment with the roundabout as the centerpiece. He told the boards the FDOT will also administer construction but that the town will pay for new design work and elements FDOT will not fund: “FDOT did note that their 5,000,000 did not come with certain things, 1 of those being landscaping,” Brownman said, adding brick pavers and some utility relocations will be town costs.
Why it matters: the design change adds multimodal features — a widened shared-use trail, buffered bike lanes and a landscaped median — intended to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety on Gulf of Mexico Drive, a FDOT-owned corridor used heavily in season.
Key facts from the presentation: the project now includes a roughly 2,000-foot corridor; the town plans to widen an existing ~8-foot pedestrian trail to 12 feet along that segment and to add 7-foot buffered bike lanes; the town’s consultant is Kimberly Horn and Associates; FDOT’s construction advertisement target has shifted from February 2026 to August 2026 while wetland permitting is addressed.
Town and county commissioners discussed whether the complete-street elements on Broadway should be extended island‑wide. Brownman said the town’s long‑term objective is to widen the trail and bike lanes for the island’s full 10‑mile corridor, beginning with this 2,000‑foot segment and a PD&E study planned next fiscal year to seek federal funding.
No formal county motion was made during the update. Town staff asked only for feedback and coordination; commissioners expressed support and offered to continue technical coordination on multimodal planning.
Ending: Town and county staff said they will continue coordination with FDOT and with Manatee County on design, permitting and potential corridor‑scale multimodal planning.
