Longboat Key officials circled back on a roundabout project at the intersection of Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive March 24, agreeing to work with the Florida Department of Transportation on a pre-construction phase.
The project was initially estimated to cost $2 million-$2.4 million, with the DOT pledging $1.65 million. However, in June 2024, town commissioners asked to put the project on hold after the DOT required reengineering of Gulf of Mexico Drive, raising costs to $6 million.
The project’s new estimated cost, updated in February, is $5.1 million.
And at a town workshop March 24, town engineer Jennifer Fehrs said the DOT will now shoulder primary responsibility for development and funding will be shared by the DOT, Manatee County, the town and the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, a transportation planning entity of elected officials representing both counties.
Last fall, the MPO put forward $4.8 million in federal funding to facilitate the project, requiring the DOT’s oversight.
With the DOT taking the lead, the town must comply with and pay for state requirements on design standards, utility adjustments and infrastructure upgrades.
Fehrs said water and sewer upgrades could cost just under $1 million in fiscal year 2026.
The town also will shoulder costs for landscaping and utility relocation.
Longboat Key already committed $569,400 for geotechnical surveys and design modifications to satisfy the DOT’s criteria.
The target date for finalizing project plans is Oct. 31, with bidding and awarding of a contract in 2026.
Construction is expected to take two years.