BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) – The Florida Department of Transportation has announced it would prefer a total replacement for the DeSoto Bridge connecting Bradenton and Palmetto, a $916 million, six-lane bridge with an elevated expressway on top.
Current bridge and proposed changes
The DeSoto Bridge extends U.S. Highway 301 over the Manatee River and has long carried both regional and local traffic between the two cities.
The bridge currently has four lanes, two in each direction. FDOT’s preferred alternative calls for six lanes, three each way, plus shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists, and two elevated express lanes in the center.
The elevated lanes would carry drivers up and over parts of downtown Bradenton and Palmetto…