Port Tampa Bay, city near agreement on Channelside Drive project
Both sides agreed on modifications that would mitigate the project’s impact on traffic on cruise days.

By Jay Cridlin
Tampa Bay Times
Published: Nov 17, 2020

After months of debate over planned construction on Channelside Drive, Port Tampa Bay and Tampa officials on Tuesday came close to an agreement on how to mitigate its impact.

And if the project progresses as planned, it won’t be a moment too soon.

The project will narrow Channelside Drive from Kennedy Boulevard south towards the roundabout near the Florida Aquarium, as well as add other pedestrian safety measures. It’s been the subject of consternation from Tampa Port Authority board members who have said it would snarl traffic to and from the port on days when cruise ships come in. Tampa officials, including Mayor and port commissioner Jane Castor, had said the impact would be minimal. Still, the city tweaked the plan to make several concessions to the port board, adding turn lanes into and out of the port’s parking garage, and agreeing to optimize traffic signal timing on cruise days.

The city also tentatively committed to providing an easement to the port’s Cruise Terminal 3 through the city-owned Florida Aquarium parking lot, pending additional review. Port officials said their organization would bear the cost of that project, estimated at $3.2 million.

“It appears that the solution that’s come up is a win-win,” said commissioner Patrick Allman. “It doesn’t harm our cruise ship business.”

The city stopped short of committing additional police officers to help with traffic on busy cruise days. And Castor was hesitant on another port proposal to build an elevated pedestrian bridge across Channelside Drive, between the garage and the Florida Aquarium.

“We would be agreeable to that if we were able to figure out some sort of funding source, and if the need presented itself,” she said.

Tampa mobility director Vik Bhide said work on the road project is scheduled to begin shortly after Thanksgiving, and is slated to wrap up by November 2021.