Interstate 75

INTERSTATE 75

In the early 1980s, Interstate 75 got extended south from Tampa into Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The highway provided a north-south alternative to the half-century old, stop-and-go Tamiami Trail. It also instigated changes in development patterns.

Sarasota County used it as a boundary for urban development to rein in suburban sprawl. For about 30 years, the boundary limited new development east of the highway to estate-lot subdivisions dependent on wells and septic tanks. A few years ago, the county created an exception to that boundary for select developments, such as Lakewood Ranch, that are willing to preserve at least half of their land in exchange for building higher-density villages.

In Manatee County, developers eventually dubbed I-75 the “new Main Street.” New communities would soon flank interchanges there.

As traffic continues to increase on I-75, the Florida Department of Transportation is looking at plans to redesign its interchanges in Sarasota and Manatee counties, widen the highway from six to 10 lanes and make space available for express buses or other mass transit.

Recent Articles About Interstate 75

Panel wants to slow pace on U.S. 41
Published July 27, 2010
Planners push for less variation in speed limits
I-75 bottleneck might be removed years earlier
Published July 27, 2010
Transportation officials take step in plans to expand four-lane highway to six lanes between Osprey and North Port.
Developments are stalled, but Toledo Blade is ready
Published June 15, 2010
Boondocks Pub & Grub Avenue flies blue banners touting "good food" and "cold beer," facing Toledo Blade Boulevard where it meets Corporate Avenue. Two years ago, the advertisement would have overlooked a crumbling two-lane road connecting Price...
Controversial roundabout is approved
Published May 12, 2010
Construction of a controversial roundabout near Interstate 75 is set to begin after the Sarasota County Commission unanimously approved a $3.3 million contract for the job at Jacaranda Boulevard and East Venice Avenue. The commission approved the...
Widening I-75 could take years
Published April 12, 2010
The frequently clogged section of four-lane interstate will be widened to six lanes from River Road to just north of State Road 681 at a cost of $31 million.
Family of I-75 crash victim gets more
Published February 27, 2010
Jury levels $150,000 in punitive damages
Jury awards $150,000 more in I-75 wreck case
Published February 26, 2010
SARASOTA — The family of a man killed in a 2007 accident in a construction zone on Interstate 75 was awarded $150,000 in punitive damages by a Sarasota jury this afternoon. The jury's punitive award — $100,000 against Zep Construction of...
Jury awards family $4 million for fatal accident
Published February 25, 2010
A jury awarded $4 million to the family of a Sarasota man Wednesday, finding a construction company and one of its subcontractors responsible for a multicar crash on Interstate 75 that killed two and injured at least 10 people. The jury also found...
Fatal I-75 crash case goes to jury
Published February 24, 2010
Jurors were deliberating Tuesday night about whether to award up to $32 million to the family of a Sarasota man who died in a 2007 multi-car crash in an Interstate 75 construction zone. The attorney for James Brashear, 42, and his 13-year-old son,...
$32M sought for family of man killed in I-75 wreck
Published February 23, 2010
An attorney today asked a jury to award the family of a Sarasota man who died in a multi-car crash on Interstate 75 at least $32 million from the companies responsible for controlling traffic in a construction zone. “Bottom line is, they...
2007 collision in I-75 work zone spurs lawsuit
Published February 7, 2010
Beyond seeing two people dead, 10 others injured and a string of smashed-up cars, a responding Florida Highway Patrol trooper was shocked by something else at the construction zone accident on Interstate 75 in October 2007. From the top of the Bee...
TOP STORIES OF THE DECADE:
Published December 31, 2009
1. Real estate, way up and way down: Even given Florida's historic boom-bust cycle, the past decade's soaring rise and staggering fall were monumental. In 2004 and 2005, housing values increased 30 percent a year, creating hundreds of thousands of...
Top local stories of the decade
Published December 31, 2009
Honore Avenue work to start earlier
Published December 29, 2009
Fifteen months from now, motorists will be able to travel from University Parkway to State Road 681 on a single road. And that road will not be Interstate 75 or U.S. 41. Work is expected to start this week on the second-to-last segment of Honore...
Danger in the cone zone
Published December 26, 2009
Roadway projects can and do yield safety improvements for drivers. But the construction phase -- often years long -- can impose serious risks on highway crews and drivers. This week, The New York Times highlighted some of the dangers in a series...