Public Workshop Set On I-275 Interchange Improvements Into Tampa

TAMPA, FL -- Residents will have a chance to weight in on major improvements planned for the congested Interstate 75 interchanges into downtown Tampa.

The open house-style public workshop will take place Thursday, May 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tampa Marriott Westshore Grand Ballroom, 1001 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa.

This is the second of two public workshops hosted by the Florida Department of Transportation. The first took place Tuesday night at the Cuban Club.

The FDOT is looking at a number of alternatives to improve traffic flow on the congested interstate through Tampa.

Proposals include adding extra lanes to the I-275 interchange at West Shore, adding lanes to the ramps at Kennedy Boulevard, adding an auxiliary lane between Westshore Boulevard and Lois Avenue and adding a lane from Tampa International Airport to State Road 60.

The Westshore Area Interchange, the Westshore to Downtown Corridor and the Downtown Interchange projects are part of a long-standing plan to improve and modernize Tampa’s interstate system.

In response to community feedback at workshops in 2017, the FDOT has been working with the Federal Highway Administration to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to determine the preferred alternatives for improving Tampa’s interstates and evaluate the potential impacts. Express lanes and a no-build alternative are among concepts evaluated in the SEIS.

Thursday's workshop will give residents a chance to share additional ideas. Public hearings on the chosen alternatives will be presented in early 2020.

The Westshore Area Interchange currently handles 178,000 cars a day. That number is expected to rise to 255,000 by 2040. The interchange is designed to handle 177,000 vehicles.

The Downtown Interchange has a capacity of 200,000 vehicles a day but is handling at least 8,000 more. In 2040, 298,000 vehicles are anticipated to use the interchange.

The goal is to provide multi-modal transportation choices to:

• Distribute traffic more evenly for a growing and changing downtown and urban core
• Efficiently move people and goods throughout the region
• Enhance travel speeds and reduce backups
• Integrate transit choices for commuters, visitors and residents
• Connect neighborhoods with public spaces such as parks, greenways and trails.

For more information on the SEIS, click here.