FDOT presents Bradenton–Palmetto connector study; council, residents urge more detail on community impacts

Florida Department of Transportation officials on Aug. 27 briefed the Bradenton City Council on a planning-level project development and environment (PD&E) study update for the proposed Bradenton–Palmetto Connector, outlining three narrowed corridors, updated traffic analysis and potential design options including widening existing bridges and elevated lanes.

The presentation, delivered by FDOT project manager Michelle Rudishauser and consultants Imran Ghani and Gail Woods, said recent traffic counts collected in May 2025 and an updated definition of the study area increased the share of through traffic from the 2014 estimate of 31 percent to 47 percent. FDOT said that population growth in Manatee County (399,000 in the 2020 census, cited by presenters) and regional travel demand mean existing facilities are likely to remain below capacity without changes.

The study narrowed an initial set of 10 corridors to three under further analysis: Corridor A (US 41/US 301/DeSoto Bridge area), Corridor B (a midchannel alignment) and Corridor D (far east alignment). FDOT and its consultants showed alternatives ranging from no-build to widening the existing DeSoto Bridge and US 41 to six, eight or more lanes, and several elevated options similar in concept to the Gandy Boulevard elevated lanes in Tampa. The team also tested combinations of widening the existing corridor plus adding a new crossing at Corridors B or D.

FDOT traffic consultant Imran Ghani said the next step is further refinement and public outreach, and the agency plans a public workshop in early 2026. The consultants emphasized trade-offs: elevated lanes generally reduce delay by bypassing signalized intersections but have higher construction and right-of-way impacts; wider at-grade sections can require acquisition that would affect businesses, apartments and in some layouts churches and other community facilities.

Council members and public speakers raised concerns about neighborhood and historic-area impacts. Gail Woods of TransSystems showed conceptual typical sections and a matrix of relative environmental impacts, right-of-way needs and mitigation costs; she said extremely wide typical sections (10–12 lanes) produced diminishing returns while increasing impacts to properties such as the Aria apartments and, in some alignments, Saint Mary Missionary Baptist Church, Sanctuary Cove and the Braden Castle historic area.

Residents from Braden Castle sought slides for committee review and asked for continued outreach; FDOT said the presentation would be shared with the city clerk for distribution. Council members urged FDOT and local agencies to let the technical process run its course while providing the agency with community input. Several councilmembers said the city should coordinate with Manatee County, the Palmetto city government and the MPO to evaluate effects north of the river where new capacity could funnel traffic into existing bottlenecks.

FDOT officials said their traffic modeling included 2045 forecasts, origin–destination work and numerous design iterations and that no single alternative currently “rises to the top.” The presentation noted that elevated options reduce vehicle hours traveled but increase environmental and right-of-way impacts; Corridor D and some Corridor A elevated options performed well on system delay metrics but require further study on access and downstream capacity.

FDOT asked for technical and policy feedback from the council and said more detailed conceptual plans and cost/mitigation estimates will follow work on environmental constraints and right‑of‑way. The agency reiterated plans to hold a public workshop in early 2026 and said FDOT staff are available for follow-up briefings with council members and neighborhood committees.

The meeting record shows no formal council vote on the PD&E study at the Aug. 27 session; the item was presented for information and community input.