The horizontal alignment of the proposed express lanes under the Preferred Alternative is centered in the roadway median of US 301 and US 41 at the locations where they are on an elevated structure. At bridge locations where the proposed express lanes transition to the same elevation as the general-use lanes, the general-use lanes follow independent alignments that curve away from the proposed express lanes to allow the separation needed to complete the transition. The profile of the proposed express lanes generally parallels that of the general-use lanes, while maintaining a minimum vertical clearance of 16.5 feet over roadways and 23.5 feet over the CSX Railroad at-grade crossing just north of the US 301 junction with US 41.

The horizontal and vertical geometry of the general-use lanes under the Preferred Alternative matches existing conditions, except for the section from westbound SR 64 to 7th Street East, as described below.

The Preferred Alternative maintains the horizontal alignment from westbound SR 64 to 500 ft north of westbound SR 64. Then, the alignment shifts eastward to avoid impacting the City of Bradenton property, including the Bradenton Waterfront Riverwalk with an 8,250 ft curve, a short 100-foot tangent section, followed by an 8,250 ft westward curve. These shifts will also allow the construction of the new 2,570-ft bridge while maintaining traffic flow on the existing bridge. The alignment then shifts westward with 9,000 ft of reverse curves to tie into the existing roadway. Appendix C provides preliminary concept plans showing the Preferred Alternative's horizontal geometry.

The Preferred Alternative will utilize a 3.2% grade to achieve a 40-foot clearance over the Manatee River. The crest vertical curve over the navigable waterway is 724 feet long, and the K value is 137.

Two design variations are required:

Refer to discussion in Section 5.3.

Intersection concepts and signals will be analyzed during the final design phase.

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