TAMPA, Fla — If you’ve driven through it, you know why I-275 and I-4 is known as malfunction junction.
Pretty soon, the long wait that some of you experience may get shorter. The Florida Department of Transportation is adding a new lane in each direction from I-275 near I-4 to just north of Hillsborough Ave, also known as US-92, with the hope of easing congestion.
The $85.3 million project will use the existing right-of-way to make the lane expansions happen.
Other improvements include noise barrier walls for neighbors and fencing.
Sidewalks and lighting will be expanded and upgraded at the underpasses of Floribraska Avenue, Lake Avenue, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Chelsea Street, Osborne Avenue, and Hillsborough Avenue.
Construction will take place during the day and night with overnight lane closures between 9 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Expect 275 on-ramp closures between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. while crews get to the signage and overpass work of the project.
Warning signs and electronic message boards will notify drivers of the change. Expect those signs out for quite some time. This project isn’t set to be completed until five years from now.
The completion date is set for early 2026.