FDOT identifies 5 Longboat Key projects in 5-year work plan

The Florida Department of Transportation’s next draft tentative five-year work plan for Manatee and Sarasota County includes five Longboat Key-specific projects, two of which are big investments. 

This tentative plan for fiscal years 2026-2030 outlines FDOT capital investments in projects throughout the state. For District 1 — which includes both Manatee and Sarasota Counties — public hearings are scheduled for early December. 

The FDOT set aside $7.6 million for preliminary engineering for a Longboat Pass Bridge replacement on the Manatee County side of Longboat Key. This project extends from North Shore Road in Longboat Key to the Coquina Beach Park entrance. 

Debate among commissioners, community groups and residents has been ongoing since the FDOT first presented bridge alternatives in March. Town commissioners formally recommended the mid-span bascule bridge to the FDOT, while north-end residents favored the lowest-span bridge. 

The FDOT planned to use $1,459,926 in 2027 to repair the existing Longboat Pass Bridge. According to the work plan, this project will replace a submarine cable for the drawbridge.

The largest project on the Sarasota County side for FDOT’s work plan will be the Gulf of Mexico Drive resurfacing project. 

The entirety of GMD will be resurfaced, but FDOT’s plan shows Sarasota County’s side will be the first to get the upgrade. In 2027, the FDOT plans to use $5,155,601 for this. 

Smaller projects on the Sarasota County side include traffic control devices and highway lighting. 

The traffic control devices will be a little over $20,000 in 2026, 2027 and 2028. 

The highway lighting will cost $57,715 in 2026 and $59,447 in 2027. 

The FDOT will hold a public hearing for this five-year work plan on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to noon. This will occur at two locations: The FDOT Southwest Area Office (10041 Daniels Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33913) and FDOT District 1 Headquarters (801 N. Broadway Avenue, Bartow, FL 33830). 

There will also be a virtual option for a public hearing with details to be determined. 

For more information and to submit online comments, visit the FDOT work plan website.