Little Ringling Bridge public hearing planned

The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing for the Little Ringling Bridge Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study on Thursday, March 21, at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive. The project area is between Bird Key Drive to Sarasota Harbour West.

The in-person open house will begin at 5 p.m. The virtual and in-person hearing and testimony portion will begin at 6 p.m. 

Alternatives are being evaluated to address structural integrity because of the age and operational deficiencies of the existing bridges. The proposed improvements will enhance safety, improve traffic operations, add a transit lane, replace the existing sidewalks with shared use paths, harden infrastructure and increase the bridge’s resilience to storm events. 

To view the hearing online, advance registration is required at https://bit.ly/LittleRinglingPublicHearing. From 5 to 6 p.m., in-person attendees can view project materials and speak with the team in an open house format. The virtual and in-person hearing and testimony portion will begin at 6 p.m. Both in-person and virtual attendees may view the project presentation and provide feedback on the proposed alternative. 

All meeting materials, including the presentation, will be available online at SWFLRoads.com/project/436680-1 by March 14. Comments can be provided through the project website. Project documents will also be available for public viewing through April 4 at Selby Public Library, 1331 First St. in Sarasota, and at FDOT District One Manatee Operations Center, 14000 East SR 64 in Bradenton.