HOLMES BEACH – City leaders have spent more than a year planning for improvements to be made at city center, the intersection of Gulf and Marina drives, but those plans haven’t had an anticipated start date – until now.
City Engineer Sage Kamiya gave commissioners an update on the project, which included a note that construction on the project is currently planned to begin as soon as mid-September, depending on when Manatee County’s force main project construction wraps up on Holmes Boulevard. He said the force main project is almost complete in that area, which will open it up to serve as a detour during the city center project when construction closes part or all of the Gulf and Marina Drive intersection to traffic.
Several different types of improvements are planned for the area with the goal of making it safer for all types of users, from pedestrians to bicyclists and drivers. For pedestrians, new sidewalks are planned for installation, along with new streetlights and lighted crosswalks. New bicycle lanes also are planned in addition to a larger turn lane going north from Gulf to Marina Drive. New landscaping along the corridor is also planned for installation.
Once the project begins, construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of the calendar year in time for the winter tourist season.
