- March 29, 2024
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Manatee County commissioners have money in the bank to expedite the construction of an east-west connector, 44th Avenue East.
Commissioners on April 12 approved a $36 million bond to advance the construction of the 44th Avenue East extension, which ultimately will connect with Cortez Road in west Bradenton all the way east to Lakewood Ranch.
A line of credit through Bank of America will serve as a short-term funding solution for the early stages of 44th Avenue-related projects, including design, engineering and other preliminary work.
“The county had been working on 44th Avenue for years on a pay-as-you-go basis,” Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker said. “It was taking forever to get it done.”
He pitched the idea of bonding the project about three years ago, and the county has been acquiring right of way for the project since. With land secured, it now is able to move forward.
The short-term note, he said, will allow the county to move forward until it knows the exact funding amounts required.
Impact fees will pay for the project.
“We need help with traffic congestion,” District 5 Commission Vanessa Baugh said of why advancing the project is important. “We have more people moving here every day.”
Click on the map below to explore the 44th Avenue East project and its funding needs.