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Palma Sola boat ramp awaits parking lot

The new boat ramp on the southwest end of the Palma Sola Causeway may not open for several months.

The boat ramp was built earlier this year as part of a series of improvements on the causeway, the stretch of State Road 64/Manatee Avenue linking the mainland to Anna Maria Island.

But the ramp will not open until a parking lot to accommodate boat trailers is built.

Before the city of Bradenton can begin work on the parking lot, a lease agreement must be signed for right-of-way use with the Florida Department of Transportation.

That lease agreement is 60-90 days from being completed, according to Seth Kohn, chairman of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity and an engineer with the city of Bradenton.

Once the agreement is finalized, the lot will be built, which could take about 60 days, Kohn said.

The new boat ramp replaced a ramp on the northeast side of the causeway that was never permitted.