The Westshore Area Interchange is where economic, employment and entertainment activities converge, leading to traffic congestion that impedes local and regional mobility.
Westshore Area Interchange
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.
Westshore Area Statistics
$
0
Billion
Economic Impact
0
Employed
0
Million
TIA Passengers
0
Residents
0
Businesses
0
Restaurants
0
Hotels
Sources: Westshore Alliance. www.choosewestshore.com/about-westshore/quick-facts/
Tampa International Airport: www.tampaairport.com/facts-statistics-financials
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.
Reconnecting Communities
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.
Project Status
PUBLIC HEARING:
Held February 2020
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE:
Express Lanes
The Westshore Area Interchange, the Westshore to Downtown Tampa Corridor, and the Downtown Tampa 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.
During October 2017, FDOT held a public meeting to review the concepts and get community input on which concepts will be carried forward for detailed study. A second public workshop was held in May 2019 to review proposed alternative options and the public hearing was held in February 2020.
On October 24, 2019, Governor DeSantis announced $1.4 Billion to reconstruct the Westshore Area Interchange (I-275/ SR 60) in Tampa. Construction is set to begin in fiscal year 2023-2024. This is the largest transportation project to be funded in FDOT District 7’s history and is part of the Tampa Bay Next program. For the press release from the Governor’s office, click here.
To view the latest Fact Sheet on the SEIS Locally Preferred Alternative, which includes Westshore Area Interchange, click here.
To view concept plans for the Westshore Interchange, please click here.
For more information on the SEIS and public hearing, click here.
