The Florida Department of Transportation selected a joint venture led by Skanska USA Civil Southeast to rebuild and widen Interstate 275 from east of State Road 60 to the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. This project will reconstruct all of the southbound interstate in that area, as well as northbound I-275 from east of State Road 60 to Himes Avenue.
When completed, there will be four through-lanes in each direction, a flatter roadway (will not have the steep humps at bridges over crossroads) to improve sight distance and decrease the chances of accidents, improved interchanges to help move traffic on and off I-275, and a wide median to decrease cost and public impact when future improvements are built.
Project activities will include the design and construction of nine new bridges and ramps, and the reconstruction or modification of another 14 bridges, ramps, flyovers and structures, entry and exit lanes to the freeway, and reconstruction of 4.5 miles of roadway.
The Skanska design-build team has developed a traffic control plan with just three major traffic shifts to help reduce driver confusion and reduce the time needed to build the project. Still, closures will be needed on I-275, the interchange ramps, and streets under and next to the interstate. Most closures will be done during night hours as listed below. During peak hours, three lanes in each direction available before construction will remain open throughout the life of the project.
