- May 14, 2025
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Despite the road being riddled with potholes, the town of Longboat Key is nearing preliminary construction for the Broadway Roundabout.
Town staff and representatives from Kimley-Horn held a public management meeting on May 1 to allow the public to learn more about the impending Broadway Roundabout project and some changes that have happened in the past year.
Town staff and Longboat Key residents, particularly north-end residents, have discussed the Broadway Roundabout for five years. Now, the project is nearing design completion with the hopes of construction beginning in fiscal year 2026.
Residents like north-end resident Eddie Abrams attended the open-house style meeting to speak one-on-one with members of the project team.
“I’m in favor of it. I think it’s a benefit for the community,” Abrams said. “And it’ll be a nice gateway to the island.”
Overall, the project team says the Broadway Roundabout will improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety at the intersection of Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive, as well as improve left-turn maneuvers for motorists.
According to Kimley-Horn representatives, the speed through the roundabout will be 25 mph, which will assist in improving the safety of crossing the intersection. The scope of the entire project is about a half mile.
Maureen Merrigan, who co-chairs the Longboat Key North coalition of homeowners and condominium associations, said the roundabout has remained one of the group’s top priorities.
She agrees with the project team the roundabout will enhance the intersection’s safety.
“It's been a goal of Longboat Key North for five years. That intersection is definitely a dangerous intersection,” Merrigan said.
In June 2023, the Florida Department of Transportation told the town it would not approve the town’s plans, which were near 90% completion, because of the road’s banking, or slope.
The town had to spend more funds on a redesign, which now takes the superelevation of the road out, meaning the curve would be non-existent through the roundabout.
This also means a more intrusive project, with one side of the road needing to be raised while the other needs to be lowered.
Given the opportunity to redesign the roundabout, the project team also added in elements of the town’s “complete streets vision,” including 5-foot bike lanes and a 12-foot multi-use trail on the east side. The installation of vegetated medians will break up the existing long left turn lane.
In April 2024, town staff said cost estimates for the roundabout were around $5.4 million to $6 million, about $3 million higher than previously expected. The town then discussed potential funding options with the FDOT and the regional planning organization.
Thanks to the FDOT taking on the bulk of the project responsibility, the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization said it could advance funding for the project to be available in fiscal year 2026.
That covers most of the construction costs and responsibilities, but the FDOT recently alerted the town that it would need to complete several pre-construction benchmarks, which are estimated to cost about $1.7 million. The most costly of those would be utility relocation.
The more complex design of changing the elevation of the road meant more potential impacts to the area’s drainage and the need for retaining walls.
Town staff actively discussed these issues with adjacent property owners, and Kimley-Horn representatives said vegetation would remain on the west side of the road — another concern for north-end residents.
With the previous design and the current one, the town spent around $360,000 on design processes and needed to spend an additional $569,000 for the next, more complicated design phase.
After seeing the updated plans at the meeting, Merrigan said she believes the elements of a complete streets vision show how Gulf of Mexico Drive could improve roadway safety on the island.
“The ‘complete streets’ demonstrates how much better it could be,” she said.
Complete streets visions are rising in popularity around the region, with similar projects happening in Anna Maria Island and the City of Sarasota. Among them all are similar aspects like improved bike lanes, buffers and multi-use paths.
Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman said the Broadway Roundabout will act as an example of the town’s complete streets vision.
“In any complete streets plan, roundabouts are seen as an option to slow traffic, create safer left turn maneuvers for motorists and create safer travel for pedestrians and cyclists,” Brownman said.
A complete streets vision will allow residents and town staff an opportunity to see what this vision could look like on the island.
Redesigning the entire 10-mile corridor of Gulf of Mexico Drive will be a long-term project, but town staff hopes to take the first step next year.
“You have to go one step at a time,” Browman said. “And the Project Development and Environment (Study) is the first step.”
A PD&E Study is required by the FDOT to investigate questions regarding right-of-way, environmental impacts, and public opinion on the project. Brownman said a study like this could take one or two years.
Getting the study underway, though, opens the door for the FDOT to start considering funding for the project, Brownman said.
Town staff will discuss more about the exact costs for the PD&E study at the upcoming budget workshops, the first of which will take place on May 19. The town commission must approve setting aside money for such a study.
