Located on the western edge of Tampa, the Westshore district is an approximate 10 square mile business district that provides access to Bay Area residential neighborhoods, Tampa International Airport, three major interstates and two HART transit centers.
To enable continued economic grow and stability, improvements to the Westshore Interchange (I-275/ SR 60) are considered necessary to provide for the existing and projected traffic demand. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is slated to open express lanes in 2018 on the Veterans Expressway which will exacerbate an already congested area for the Westshore Interchange.
This interchange improvement project also will reconnect roads and neighborhoods.
We’re looking for opportunities to facilitate movement both through and within Westshore. FDOT is also reviewing the existing and planned bicycle and pedestrian facilities to improve connections to the Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail from the Westshore area.
PUBLIC HEARING:
Early 2019
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE:
Evaluating Express Lanes and other concepts
The Westshore Area Interchange, the Westshore to Downtown Corridor, and the Downtown Interchange projects are all part of a long-standing plan to improve and modernize Tampa’s interstate system, originally called the Tampa Interstate Study (TIS). The TIS required the most rigorous evaluation process in transportation planning – an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
In response to community feedback, FDOT is working with the Federal Highway Administration to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to determine the preferred alternative for improving Tampa’s interstates and evaluating potential impacts. Express lanes are one of the concepts being evaluated in the SEIS. FDOT is evaluating alternatives and inviting the community to share additional concept ideas.
This Fall, FDOT will hold a public meeting to review the concepts and get community input on which concepts will carried forward for detailed study.
For more information on the SEIS, click here.
Click here to view and download the latest Fact Sheet for the Westshore Area Interchange project.
Click graph to enlarge
