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Commissioners adopt 2025 MPO project priorities; staff brief on DeSoto Bridge design and timing
Summary
The board approved Manatee County's 2025 MPO project priorities list and received a staff briefing on the DeSoto Bridge replacement, which FDOT is designing and expects to construct in state fiscal 2030.
The board approved Manatee County's 2025 Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) project priorities list, a required annual submission that county staff forward to the MPO for inclusion in regional project programming. The motion to approve the priorities passed unanimously.
Clark Davis, deputy director of Public Works, explained the MPO submission is combined with other local government priorities to form a regional prioritization used by the MPO and the state to decide projects for the State Work Program. Davis said the county's list has not undergone radical changes, partly because priorities must be consistent with the MPO's long-range plan and because state funding projections limit the likelihood of wide program additions in the near term.
The item prompted questions about the DeSoto Bridge replacement project. Commissioners asked whether the replacement will be built as four lanes or expanded to six. Davis clarified the bridge is on the State Highway System and is administered by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). FDOT is conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study for the Bradenton-Palmetto connector in parallel with bridge design. County staff said FDOT intends to design the new DeSoto Bridge to replace the existing four-lane structure and to allow expansion later if the connector study recommends increased capacity (either by widening or a parallel structure). Construction is scheduled around state fiscal year 2030 (which begins July 1, 2029). Davis said the existing bridge is nearing the end of its typical service life and that FDOT has determined replacement is more cost-effective than further rehabilitation.
Commissioners asked staff for follow-up information and said they planned to use the board's upcoming trip to Tallahassee to press FDOT for clarity on capacity and design. The board moved the MPO priorities approval forward with a unanimous vote.
Ending: The approved MPO priorities will be transmitted to the MPO for regional ranking and inclusion in the State Work Program. Staff will provide follow-up information to commissioners on FDOT's design choices and timing when available.
