Manatee to discuss Upper Manatee River Road project in public meeting

A public information meeting on a road project for Upper Manatee River Road is set for 6-8 p.m. March 21 at Peace Presbyterian Church, 12705 E. State Road 64, Bradenton. 

The meeting, which, according to a Manatee County release, does not feature a formal presentation, allows guests to arrive at any point within the scheduled time to view design boards and plans and to ask questions to project staff members. 

The roadway project will widen approximately 2.2 miles of Upper Manatee River Road —  north of State Road 64 to Fort Hamer Bridge — from two lanes to four 11-foot lanes with two lanes in each direction.

The release said improvements will include an 18-foot raised median, 6-foot buffered bike lanes, a curb and gutter, a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the roadway, a 10-foot sidewalk on the west side of the roadway, and street lighting throughout the corridor.

Also included in the project, the release said, are improvements at the road’s intersections with Greenfield Boulevard and Copperlefe Drive, Port Harbour Parkway, and Fort Hamer Road. These include replacing the existing traffic signals with new traffic signals, left-turn lanes and pedestrian crosswalks. 

A new signalized intersection will be constructed at the intersection of Upper Manatee River Road and Waterlefe Boulevard, and a new signalized mid-block pedestrian crossing will be constructed just south of 2nd Avenue E., the release said.

Additional project information can be found at MyManatee.org/uppermanatee.