Public outreach meeting planned on I-75, Bee Ridge construction

The Florida Department of Transportation is planning construction over 3.8 miles of I-75, from just South of Bee Ridge Road to south of Fruitville Road, and they will take comments and questions about the project at a public meeting on Dec. 15.

The project will widen the highway to eight lanes, widen bridges over Palmer Boulevard and Phillipi Creek and replace bridges over Bee Ridge Road, according to the FDOT project page.

Changes to a one-mile portion of Bee Ridge are also planned.

FDOT spokesman Robin Stublin said that, because the Bee Ridge interchange is constrained, a hybrid diverging-diamond (rather than a diverging diamond) will shift eastbound traffic to the left to make northbound entry to I-75 easier.

The $7.8 million project’s design also changes the way southbound traffic accesses nearby commercial and residential areas, and includes revamping the intersection of Bee Ridge and Cattleman Road.

Proposed designs and review displays will be available, and FDOT staff will be available  to speak with interested members of the public.