| Interstate 4 – Selmon Expressway Connector | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by THEA, FTE and FDOT | |
| Length: | 1 mi (2 km) Approximate |
| Existed: | 2013 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: | SR 618 in Tampa |
| North end: | I-4 / SR 400 in Tampa |
| Highway system | |
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Florida State and County Roads |
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The Interstate 4 – Selmon Expressway Connector is a planned limited-access, elevated toll road that is slated to connect the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway to Interstate 4 in Tampa, Florida. When completed, the highway will be able to safely filter hazardous cargo away from Ybor City and into the Port of Tampa. The connector project is being coordinated by a partnership between FDOT, Florida's Turnpike, and the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA). The City of Tampa and Hillsborough County governments are also playing significant roles in the project’s progression process. Construction has begun as of March 2010 and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013.[1]
Contents |
The I-4 – Selmon Expressway Connector was conceived in the late 1990s as a high-speed route between South Tampa and Orlando, as well as from Lutz to Brandon. It also serves to divert commercial traffic and hazardous cargo from Ybor’s historic district.[2] Planning for the project was completed in late 2008, with funding secured in the summer of 2009. Despite falling gas tax revenues and the ongoing global recession, THEA was able to obtain about $105 million for the $487 million project from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, allowing the project to begin construction in March 2010. The remaining funds will be paid off over time with a $1 toll for traffic.[3][4] The projected time of completion is set around 2014, but the highway could open as soon as early 2013.[5][6]
To minimize dangerous weaving patterns and major bottlenecks, traffic utilizing the I-4 – Selmon Expressway Connector between I-4 and eastbound Selmon Expressway to/from Brandon will be physically separated from traffic utilizing the connector to get to/from Downtown Tampa via I-4 westbound. The entire tollway will be elevated.
Traffic will be able to navigate the I-4 – Selmon Expressway Connector as follows:
The entire route is in Tampa, Hillsborough County.
| Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | SR 618 (Selmon Expressway) – Tampa, Brandon | Southern terminus |
| 1 | I-4 / SR 400 – Tampa, Orlando | Northern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||
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