Public meeting on I-75 planned

EAST COUNTY — The Florida Department of Transportation seeks public input as it moves forward with plans to widen Interstate 75 and reconfigure the interstate’s intersection with University Parkway.

The FDOT will host a public meeting from 4:30 to 7 p.m. June 26, at the Holiday Inn Lakewood Ranch, 6231 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota.

“We want the community to know what’s going on — that’s why it’s important,” FDOT District 1 Communication Specialist Robin Stublen said.

Stublen said the public will be able to see what the proposed I-75 design looks like and how it will function and speak with FDOT staff at the meeting.

The meeting is part of FDOT’s plan to raise awareness about proposed I-75 corridor improvements, which span roughly from Fruitville Road to University Parkway.

FDOT intends to widen the 3.5-mile stretch of roadway to an eight-lane highway with three through lanes and one auxiliary lane in each direction. The project also includes the widening of the I-75 bridge across Erie Creek and replacing the I-75 overpass at University Parkway with a double diverging-diamond configuration.

FDOT plans to widen the 1-mile stretch of University Parkway from Cattlemen Road/Cooper Creek Boulevard to Market Street, as well.

Funding for project construction currently is not included in FDOT’s five-year work program, but FDOT officials have vowed to find alternative funding sources and to move the project forward as quickly as possible.

Amanda Sebastiano contributed to this report.

IF YOU GO
What: FDOT I-75 Improvement Meeting
When: 4:30 to 7 p.m. June 26
Where: Holiday Inn Lakewood Ranch, 6231 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota
Details: The public can learn about and provide input on planned I-75 improvements, including the north-south widening of I-75 roughly between Fruitville Road and University Parkway, as well as the east-west widening of University Parkway between Cattlemen Road and Market Street.
Info: Visit www.i75manatee.com

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].