MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — It's a $168 million project to replace the DeSoto Bridge that connects Bradenton and Palmetto. This week, residents got to see firsthand the new bridge proposals at an informational meeting, along with some of the designs by the Florida Department of Transportation.

What You Need To Know

  • FDOT plans on demolishing DeSoto Bridge and replacing it with a new bridge

  • Designs will be completed by the end of next year, but construction on the bridge won't start until 2027

  • The public has until Oct. 29 to send feedback to FDOT; the next public meeting will be in spring 2024

The DeSoto Bridge has been known for heavy traffic in Manatee County, but it also has a history of needing repairs here and there. With more people moving to the area, one business says it's perfect timing.

Liz Fridenberg's main job is to make sure everything is in tip-top shape.

"What day would you like to come in, please," she said.

She's been the general manager at Mattison's Riverwalk Grille in Bradenton for six years and knows how bad traffic is.

"Traffic is increasingly backed up, staff members that are in traffic and stuck on the bridge that are five minutes or 30 minutes late to work, that impacts running the business," she said.

FDOT plans on demolishing the existing bridge and replacing it with a new bridge that will still have two travel lanes in each direction and a concrete barrier. It would add pedestrian and bicyclist features along with 12-foot shoulders to pull off into if needed.

"The bridge will be a good step in the right direction," Fridenberg said. "Manatee County has grown so greatly on the north side, on the west side, on the east side. We know how much it's grown, and to make the bridges more passable and accessible with better lanes, wider lanes, bike paths will only enhance the county."

But Fridenberg says she hopes to see the same go for other bridges in the county.

"All of the bridges in Manatee County are due for replacement," she said." We have bridges that were built in 1957, 1960, with the traffic and influx of people, it's time for widening and replacing."

The current bridge will stay during the construction of the new one to help with traffic. The public has the option of choosing and submitting their feedback to build the new bridge on the east or the west side of the old one. Designs will be completed by the end of next year, and construction on the bridge won't start until 2027.

The public has until Oct. 29 to send in feedback to FDOT. The next public meeting will be in spring 2024.