After three years of construction, Selmon Expressway extension opens
By Kellie Cowan and FOX 13 News staff
Published
Selmon Expressway extension opens on Monday
Come Monday, the Selmon Expressway West Extension above Gandy Boulevard will open to commuters. The project which took 3 years to complete will make traveling from Brandon to St. Pete much faster.
TAMPA, Fla. - Commuters and local drivers have been waiting for it for a long time, but the wait is over and, hopefully, so are the traffic headaches. The Selmon Expressway West Extension finally opened at noon.
It’s taken three years of construction and millions of dollars to create, but the new two-mile stretch of the Selmon West Extension should take a lot more cars off Gandy Boulevard and make it easier for commuters to cross the bay.
West extension of Selmon Expressway will open on Monday
Jordan Bowen reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Come Monday, the Selmon Expressway West Extension above Gandy Boulevard will open to commuters. The project which took 3 years to complete will make traveling from Brandon to St. Pete much faster.
After 3 years of construction, the Selmon West Extension is now complete and ready to welcome drivers. The Selmon Expressway is now two miles longer and it s providing even better service to our customers than it did before Monday came, Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority Executive Director Joe Waggoner said.
The 1.9-mile-long toll lane will provide safer transportation to commuters traveling from Brandon to Pinellas County and help cut back on congestion on Gandy Boulevard. The bridge stands 30 feet tall, unlike the typical 15 feet. That s because businesses along Gandy initially raised concern about the bridge possibly blocking the sightline to their business.
Selmon Expressway west extension opens today
Selmon Expressway west extension opens today
and last updated 2021-04-19 07:58:13-04
The Selmon Expressway west extension opens to drivers later today.
Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) announced its plan to open the elevated 1.9-mile toll lane Monday, which will provide a seamless connection and a safe transportation option for drivers traveling from Brandon to Pinellas County.
Construction of the $230 million project began in late 2018.
âThis project has been 25 years in the making, and I am thrilled itâs finally ready to open. THEA challenged our design-build team to come up with an innovative and aesthetically pleasing design that would minimize the negative effects of construction on the businesses along the Gandy corridor,â said THEA Executive Director, Joe Waggoner.