From the massive reconstruction of the Interstate 275/State Road 60 interchange to a long-discussed future regional transit hub, the Westshore District is at the center of the Tampa Bay area’s transportation network and some major projects. Likewise, providing viable transportation choices for the people who live and work in Westshore will play a central role in shaping its future as a bustling mixed-use district.
Right now in the Westshore area, one massive Interstate-275 construction project is finishing up as another gets underway. Now that the Howard Frankland Bridge’s express toll lanes and separated shared-use path are open, contractors Archer Western and Traylor Bros. have finished all significant work on the Florida Department of Transportation’s $974 million, nearly six-year project to build a new bridge span across Tampa Bay. Just north of the Howard Frankland, contractors Superior Construction and Lane Construction are in the early stages of work on the $653.3 million reconfiguration and reconstruction of the crash- and gridlock-prone Westshore interchange at I-275 and State Road 60. That project is expected to finish in 2030.
They are regional projects that also advance the Westshore Alliance’s transportation priorities by improving local traffic circulation and road connections, accommodating multiple modes of transportation, and better connecting Westshore with the region. The 12-foot-wide, nearly seven-mile shared-use path across the Howard Frankland is a big step toward assembling a regional bike trail network that links Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and runs through Westshore. The tolled express lanes across the new span are intended to reduce congestion and travel time for commuters and transit vehicles. The new span is also designed to support the weight of a potential future light rail system…