A proposed overpass connecting Cattlemen Road to Lakewood Ranch across Interstate 75 has a finished design but no money to build it.

Paula Wiggins, Sarasota County's interim senior transportation manager and chair of the Sarasota-Manatee MPO Technical Advisory Committee, presented the project on Sept. 14. The presentation showed that design was completed in June 2026 and is now awaiting review and approval from the Florida Department of Transportation, or FDOT.

Price Tag Sits at $40 Million, Unfunded

The price tag: $40 million. That figure comes from a Project Development and Environment study, known as a PD&E study, completed in February 2024 and has not been updated. Construction funding is not programmed in Sarasota County's five-year Capital Improvement Program.

Corridor Would Fill Gap Between Two Crossings

The project, formally called the North Sarasota Multimodal Corridor, would fill a three-mile gap between the only two east-west crossings of I-75 in the area: Fruitville Road and University Parkway. Both corridors carry heavy commuter traffic for Lakewood Ranch residents heading west toward Sarasota.

Developer Has Funded Years of Planning Work

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc., the master developer behind Lakewood Ranch, funded the entire planning and design process. The Sarasota County Commission authorized the company, known as SMR, to design and permit the project on May 10, 2016. The PD&E study began in April 2018. The commission selected a center alignment as the preferred route on Feb. 9, 2021. The Federal Highway Administration granted Location Design Concept Approval on Feb. 6, 2024, completing the study.

SMR has also committed to dedicating right-of-way east of I-75 for the project.

Design Includes Wide Bike Lanes, Shared Path

The design calls for four travel lanes, 7-foot bike lanes on each side and a 12-foot shared-use path. The elevated section over I-75 would carry a 15-foot shared-use path and 5-foot bike lanes at a 40-mph design speed.

Federal Grants Eyed, But No Timeline Yet

FDOT is preparing grant application documents for upcoming federal funding opportunities, according to the presentation. Federal and state appropriations and grants were listed as potential construction funding sources. No timeline for a grant submission was provided.

Once construction begins, the project is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete. FDOT must also issue a Use and Occupancy Agreement before work can start.

No date for FDOT's design review has been announced.