Manatee County is experiencing massive growth, as is most of the Tampa Bay area. 

  • Fort Hamer bridge to open in August
  • Manatee residents, transportation officials hopeful new bridge will help with traffic
  • $32-million structure will stretch about 2,300-feet across the Manatee River
  • Bay News 9's Real Time Traffic Reporter Chuck Henson takes an in-depth look at transportation issues around the Bay area
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Just take a drive across any of Manatee's bridges to gauge how the growth is impacting commutes. 

In response to a request from viewer Gail Sylvia-Cox, Real Time Traffic Expert Chuck Henson took a look at getting across the bridges faster. 

A 30-year resident of Palmetto, Sylvia-Cox said getting across the Green Bridge in a timely manner has gotten more difficult over of the years. 

"It's been a growing, growing problem, trying to get over the Green Bridge and back either way," Sylvia-Cox said. "Especially in the Winter, and now that we have many, many events happening."

Sylvia-Cox added it can often take her 45 minutes or more during the morning or afternoon drive. She said it takes even longer during the winter months when snowbirds flock to the area's roadways. 

For folks in western Manatee, there is a choice of three bridges to cross the Manatee River: Interstate 75, the DeSoto Bridge and the Green Bridge. Many Manatee residents are looking at the new Fort Hamer Bridge as a solution to the problem. 

The $32-million structure will stretch about 2,300-feet across the Manatee River, connecting Lakewood Ranch and the Parrish area. Construction has been ongoing for almost two years. 

Sylvia-Cox said she remains doubtful. 

"I don't see it myself," she said. "(The bridge) helping us because we're so far away from that.  And I think Fort Hamer is mostly for the development out in that area, which is extensive.  I used to work out in that area and that's become a mess as well."

Sylvia-Cox said she has spoken to city, county and state officials in the past about the traffic delays. She said she believes the signal timing is to blame. 

However, Renjan Joseph with the Florida Department of Transportation said the signals are not to blame. 

Instead, Joseph said, the problem is a capacity issue that can not be resolved through signal timing adjustments. He said multiple adjustments, as well as system-wide retiming measures, have been done over the years. None did much to help with traffic backups. 

The Fort Hamer Bridge, is expected to open in late August. 

The two-lane bridge will include paved bike lanes, improved shoulders, sidewalks on the east side, and turning lanes at the north and south approaches.