Governor accelerates more Tampa Bay road projects, including I-275, I-75
By Veronica Brezina-Smith
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: May 11, 2020

More road projects in Tampa Bay are being put on the fast track.

On Monday, the Florida Department of Transportation announced a second phase of accelerating infrastructure projects throughout the state under Gov. Ron DeSantis' direction. The governor made a recent order to take advantage of lower traffic volumes due to Covid-19, and expedited more than 40 critical transportation projects.

"The transportation industry is vital to our economy and is essential as we move forward to reopen Florida," Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault said in the governor's release. "We will continue to accelerate projects as much as possible, while also incorporating the CDC’s safety and sanitation guidelines."

In the first phase, DeSantis ordered to expedite the construction process for the $864 million Howard Frankland Bridge project. Now the state has identified these additional Tampa Bay area projects to be accelerated:

Hillsborough County

Operational improvements on Interstate 275 from west of State Road 60 (Exit 39) to Lois Avenue (Exit 40B) in Hillsborough County will be accelerated by 60 days. Pinellas County

Intersection lighting improvements on SR 688, SR 586 and SR 580 at various locations in Pinellas County will be accelerated by one week.

Intersection lighting improvements on SR 688 between Hamlin Boulevard in Largo and Feather Sound Drive in St. Petersburg in Pinellas County will be accelerated by one week.

Intersection lighting improvements on SR 586 between Alternate 19/Bayshore Boulevard in Dunedin and Tampa Road in Oldsmar in Pinellas County will be accelerated by one week.

Manatee County

The Interstate 75 repaving from the Manatee County Line to CR 672 in Hillsborough County will be accelerated by one month.

Signal pole foundations, signal poles and roadway work on U.S. 301 at Rutland Road in Manatee County will be accelerated by three weeks.

The resurfacing of SR 43 from 2nd Avenue to west of 51st Avenue in Manatee County will be accelerated by two weeks.

The safety project on US 301 at Erie Road and Old Tampa Highway in Manatee County will be accelerated by two weeks Pasco County

The diverging diamond interchange improvement project in Pasco County will be accelerated by two weeks.

Polk County

Signal pole foundations, signal poles and roadway work on SR 37 at Edgewood Drive in Polk County will be accelerated by one month.