FDOT to assume larger responsibility for Broadway Roundabout project

The Broadway Roundabout still has a green light, and town officials are working closer with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to make progress on the pre-construction requirements. 

At the Longboat Key town commission’s March 24 workshop, Town Engineer Jennifer Fehrs updated commissioners on the shared responsibilities of the roundabout project, which FDOT will assume most of it. 

The February 2025 cost update for the project was around $5.1 million, splitting the cost between FDOT, town, Manatee County and the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the latter of which will fund most of the project. 

In fall 2024, the MPO told the town it could accelerate about $4.8 million in funding for the Broadway Roundabout the organization previously set aside for 2030. 

To use those federal funds, the project would need to be managed by an agency or organization certified through the Local Agency Program (LAP). 

According to Fehrs, the town does not have the personnel capacity to meet LAP-certification criteria. 

That led to the latest development, which is FDOT taking on the responsibility of the project since it has the LAP certification. 

“What FDOT was doing was assuming responsibilities for the project all the way from advertising through construction completion,” Fehrs said.

With the FDOT essentially becoming the primary project manager, the town will need to enter a memorandum of understanding with FDOT. 

This new responsibility shift also requires the town to comply with more FDOT requirements like enhanced design, utility adjustments, and additional water and wastewater construction. 

These additional requirements are on the town’s dollar. 

The town had to take on the $569,400 for advanced design performed by Kimley-Horn Associates, Inc. (KHA). Fehrs said FDOT will pay for some of that but did not yet give a specific dollar amount for the reimbursement. 

Other financial responsibilities for the town through construction will include landscaping, pavers, utility relocation and upgrades and water and wastewater construction. Water and wastewater work could cost around $975,000, which would need to be pulled from the fiscal year 2026 budget, Fehrs said.

Now, the town is engaged with KHA for the advanced design and allowing KHA to perform advanced geotechnical surveys and other services required for FDOT to take over the project. 

Fehrs said the target date to complete plans for the project would be Oct. 31, with project letting and bidding beginning in February 2026.

When the project reaches construction, Fehrs said it would last around two years.

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Questions about the new costs and overall benefit of the project circulated among the town commissioners after the presentation.

Commissioner-At-Large BJ Bishop questioned if the roundabout would improve traffic flow on the north end of the island, or have the opposite effect. 

Fehrs said she did not have data to support whether the roundabout would improve traffic or wait times but emphasized the project’s focus was on safety at the intersection.

“When you’re driving Broadway without any kind of traffic control, it does feel a bit scary, especially if you’re coming from Broadway to Gulf of Mexico Drive,” Fehrs said. “The site distances aren’t what I would consider adequate to be able to see oncoming traffic.”

Public Works Director Charlie Mopps added the roundabout would also improve pedestrian crossing safety at the busy intersection that has public beach access on one end and restaurants on the other. 

The roundabout would move the pedestrian crossing closer to the intersection rather than where it is south of the intersection. 

Mayor Ken Schneier said, while the town should remain vigilant about additional costs burdening the town, there seems to be a momentum that should continue. 

“I don’t favor start again, stop again, start again, stop again,” Schneier said. “We’re on a path here, but we have to be very careful about what these expenses are.”

That momentum had previously been lost in April 2023 when the town reached 90% design and the FDOT said it would reject the plans because of concerns with the roadway banking, or curve. 

This forced the town to re-engage with KHA for a new design to fix the banking, add elements of the town’s complete street vision and add drainage improvements in response to concerns raised by local property owners.

The new design meant the project would cost about $3.2 million more than previously budgeted for, and the project briefly halted while town staff figured next steps. This then led to the MPO agreeing to advance some of the funding it had previously set aside for the project.