The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District One, is holding a public meeting regarding proposed changes to design plans for improvements to Interstate 75 (I-75) from south of Bee Ridge Road to south of Fruitville Road in Sarasota ...

 

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The Florida Department of Transportation - District One announces a public meeting to which all persons are invited.

DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, December 15, 2015, 5:00 p.m. – 700 p.m.

PLACE: Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, 2320 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, FL 34232

GENERAL SUBJECT MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED: The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District One, is holding a public meeting regarding proposed changes to design plans for improvements to Interstate 75 (I-75) from south of Bee Ridge Road to south of Fruitville Road in Sarasota County. The meeting will focus on changes to the proposed design plans for the I-75/Bee Ridge Road interchange.

In 2011, the Federal Highway Administration approved a preferred alternative from the Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) study of I-75 from south of SR 681 to north of University Parkway in Sarasota and Manatee counties. At the I-75/Bee Ridge Road interchange, the preferred alternative maintained the existing partial cloverleaf interchange but added turn lanes on the northbound and southbound I-75 off-ramps. The preferred alternative also included widening of Bee Ridge Road from four to six lanes in each direction and the adding 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. 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 (DDI) and southbound diversion ramp. FDOT would also rebuild the Bee Ridge Road at Cattlemen Road intersection to a continuous flow intersection (CFI). The hybrid DDI, southbound diversion ramp, and CFI work in conjunction to accommodate the traffic at I-75/Bee Ridge Road interchange and the Bee Ridge Road/Cattlemen Road intersection, which are in very close proximity to each other. The proposed design plans continue to include widening of I-75 from south of Bee Ridge Road to south of Fruitville Road and widening of about one mile of Bee Ridge Road.

FDOT will hold a public meeting to review the proposed modifications to the approved PD&E study preferred alternative and to receive public comment. The proposed design and project-related materials will be on display and FDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and discuss the project informally.

There is no agenda for this meeting. The meeting will be an open house format.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 7 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Shelly Smith, Title VI Coordinator, Florida Department of Transportation, District One, 801 N. Broadway Avenue, S-1-10 Bartow, FL 33830, [phone], [e-mail]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).

For more information, you may contact: Kevin Ingle, Florida Department of Transportation, District One, [phone], [e-mail].

Additional information about the project can also be found on the project website, www.swflroads.com/i75/beeridgerdtofruitvillerd.