Traffic committee discusses seasonal congestion, roundabout
They’re trying to get us out of a jam.
The Barrier Islands Traffic Committee — an eight-member body established to advise the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization on technical matters related to implementing the Barrier Island Traffic Study — met May 17.
The BITC, which endeavors to reduce traffic congestion on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key in accordance with the study, discussed:
- Lower barrier island traffic congestion levels during this year’s busy season;
- The installation of a roundabout at the intersection of Cortez Road and Gulf Drive;
- The addition of a “flexible” third lane to the Cortez megabridge.
During the project update portion of the meeting, Lynn Burnett, the city engineer contracted by Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach, said construction and staged vehicles associated with the infrastructure projects at the south end of Anna Maria Island caused traffic congestion and put Bradenton Beach’s plans to reconfigure parking lots in the area on hold.
“I think that we’re probably going into the next busy season in about the same position we have been this past year, with the exception of hopefully not as much construction, equipment, staging and things like that slowing stuff down,” she said.
Burnett’s report prompted Isaac Brownman, Longboat Key public works director, to mention that despite the Coquina Beach-area projects, traffic congestion on Longboat Key was lighter than last year, according to public feedback he received.
Burnett concurred. Traffic heading northbound on Anna Maria Island flowed better this year, she said.
“As long as the road wasn’t shut down because of sewer work, I would agree there was an improvement,” Burnett said. “And from three-plus decades of watching traffic patterns out there, I’m going to attribute that to the improvements that were made at Cortez and 123rd Street.”
Circling back
Installing a roundabout at the intersection of Gulf Drive and Cortez Road west of the Cortez Bridge has been a longtime topic of discussion for barrier island officials and planners.
Though a DOT analysis determined a roundabout was not feasible due to the cost of right of way acquisition, the idea was back on the table at the BITC meeting.
Burnett reported that Bradenton Beach city commissioners discussed acquiring the property at Cortez Road’s western terminus.
As it stands, the property sits too close to the intersection to allow for roundabout construction.
In its 5-year tentative work plan, the DOT has programmed a 2024-25 “Complete Streets” project study for State Road 789 along the city length of Bradenton Beach.
There is a chance the $1.25 million study, which would include the intersection of Gulf Drive and Cortez Road, could be conducted earlier, said Jesten Abraham, DOT District 1 community liaison.
Abraham said he would know more about the timeline in July, when the DOT work program development cycle begins.
Though the project may be advanced, Abraham made no roundabout promises.
“I don’t know what the best treatment would be, obviously, until we actually look at the (study),” he said.
Where’s the flexibility?
The DOT plans to replace the 17-foot-clearance Cortez drawbridge with a 65-foot-clearance fixed-span bridge in 2026-27.
Following a presentation on the status of megabridge design, Brownman and Susan Montgomery, a Manatee County Area Transit planner, expressed concerns about the lack of a third, flexible lane on bridge blueprints.
“A big push during the (study) was to make sure that future major pieces of infrastructure, like bridges,” included additional lanes for high-occupancy vehicles and reversible lanes, Brownman said.
While the preliminary Cortez bridge study found a third lane was not feasible, an additional lane could be included in the future, said DOT design project manager Roxann Lake.
The DOT decided against including the third lane in current design plans because it would exacerbate congestion at the intersection of Cortez Road and Gulf Drive, Abraham said.
“You have to have the surrounding infrastructure in place to support that kind of through traffic,” added MPO fiscal manager Ryan Brown.