- June 15, 2025
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Longboat Key and Manatee County commissions met on May 7 in Bradenton to discuss several of the town’s priority projects that overlap with Manatee County. Half of Longboat Key is in Manatee County, with the county line just north of Bayfront Park.
Looking for input and possibly financial help, town staff and commissioners brought to the table issues like the Longboat Pass Bridge, Broadway Roundabout, traffic congestion and beach nourishment.
In early 2024, the Florida Department of Transportation held a series of community workshops to get public opinion on the proposed replacement of the Longboat Pass Bridge.
Those workshops yielded three options: a low-level drawbridge, a mid-level drawbridge and a high fixed-span bridge. All three bridge options would be taller than the current Longboat Pass Bridge and update the bridge, which was constructed in 1957.
The fixed-span option would have been 78 feet high, and the town agreed with the north-end community that option was out of character for the community.
According to Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman, if the bridge needs to be replaced, the town prefers the lower option but would accept the mid-level bridge. The lowest bridge would be about 23 feet high and the mid-level option would be about 36 feet.
But Brownman said the town recently became aware that the FDOT is looking at a “repair in place” option with more interest. Brownman suspected this was due to cost savings, since a replacement would cost anywhere from $93 million to $165 million.
While a no-build alternative would be the least disruptive, Brownman said it likely wouldn’t change the bike lanes and sidewalks of the existing bridge, which he called “sub-standard.”
The town's next steps will be to advance conversations with the FDOT about what the "repair in place" option would entail.
Manatee County At-Large Commissioner and Chair George Kruse said if asked to take a stance on the bridge, the county would defer to the town’s opinion.
Likely the hottest topic brought to the table, the town brought anecdotes, data and proposed solutions to test if the town could work with Manatee County and other regional entities on alleviating the traffic congestion heading north.
Brownman emphasized traffic congestion continues to be the No. 1 issue among residents, according to the town’s annual citizen surveys.
One positive development is the progression of the Cortez Bridge replacement — a fixed-span bridge anticipated to cost $115 million. Construction could start in spring or summer 2026 and take three years.
While the main positive is the elimination of the drawbridge, Brownman said there doesn’t seem to be an improvement at the Cortez Road and Gulf Drive intersection, like the town previously anticipated.
An ideal scenario would be to extend the northbound to eastbound turn lane that often backs up traffic. Brownman said recent conversations with FDOT included the idea of extending that lane through potential property acquisition and extended right-of-way, though nothing was concrete.
Something the town believes the county could do to help alleviate traffic is manage the access points of the Coquina Beach parking lot, which was recently expanded to over 1,000 parking spaces.
Browman presented a video that demonstrated the community’s frustration that three access points allow more beachgoers to enter the line of traffic and delay people trying to get off the island. The town suggests that, if there were only one exit, cars would enter the line less frequently.
“There’s not one silver bullet solution,” Brownman said. “All we’re asking is for the county, the state, the town and Bradenton Beach to work together on some solutions, a combination of solutions.”
Manatee County commissioners’ response focused on the county’s plans to expand the Gulf Islands Ferry program, claiming the ferry service will help take cars off the road.
“The intent is that if we can keep cars out of your way, it helps you get off (the island),” Kruse said. “Any way we can put people on ferries to keep cars out of your way, anyway we can get people off the road faster and onto the beach is less traffic on the roads…I think it’s all kind of intertwined.”
Manatee County District 3 Commissioner Tal Siddique, whose district includes the north end of Longboat Key, said regional thinking would be the ideal strategy when thinking of solutions for this corridor.
Located on the far north end of Longboat Key, the intersection of Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive will soon receive an upgrade with a roundabout intended to improve pedestrian safety and left-hand turns.
Browman explained to the Manatee County commissioners how the project evolved from a roundabout to a more in-depth project that includes elements of the town’s complete streets vision.
The changes were made after the FDOT cited issues with the road’s current curvature, causing the town’s project team to redesign the project in 2023.
Manatee County contributed about half the $280,000 cost for the previous design iteration.
Brownman told commissioners the project team now expects to begin project letting and bidding in August 2026, a little later than the previous timeframe of February 2026. This delay will give the town more time to complete the newly realized pre-construction requirements that are expected to cost around $1.7 million.
The town must start the process in fiscal year 2026 to maintain over $5 million in funding from the FDOT, which covers most of the construction. The FDOT also assumed responsibility for the construction.
The complete streets vision and enhancements were more relevant for Manatee County commissioners, though.
Kruse said the county has an interest in building the regional corridor with complete streets enhancements and hopes to create connectivity throughout the county’s barrier islands in the future.
“Those trails are very important to me,” Kruse said. As you’re going through that process, keep us in the loop…we have a vested interest in that.”
The town hopes to start a Project Development and Environment study for a complete street project for the entire Gulf of Mexico Drive Corridor, pending commission approval to set aside those funds in FY26.
Another top issue for Longboat Key residents is beach erosion and maintaining the beach profile. After the 2024 storm season led to a 407,000 cubic-yard loss of sand on Longboat’s beaches, the town now looks toward a renourishment.
Brownman said the town is in the process of a claim through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with a project slated for 2027-2028.
While replacing the losses is a necessity, the town hopes to conduct a more comprehensive nourishment of about 800,000 cubic yards that would likely cost about $32 million.
After FEMA reimbursements and expected contributions from the Florida Department of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the town would likely need to front $12.7 million for that larger project.
That doesn’t include the estimated $6 million project to help stabilize the Gulfside Road section of Longboat’s beach.
“If there’s an opportunity for Manatee County to support our nourishment project, we’re always welcome and open to that,” Brownman said. “We appreciate your past support and any continued support.”
Though Manatee County commissioners did not have any direct response to that comment, county staff presented some of the county’s upcoming projects, including a $20 million redo of the barrier along the Gulf Drive section near Bradenton Beach.
