Tampa’s Selmon Expressway Extension Set To Open On Time
We’ve been watching as the construction of the Selmon Expressway extension continued over Gandy Blvd. in Tampa. Now we know when it’s set to open. The toll road has made…
We've been watching as the construction of the Selmon Expressway extension continued over Gandy Blvd. in Tampa. Now we know when it's set to open.
The toll road has made driving across Hillsborough County from south Tampa to Brandon much easier. The Selmon Expressway had ended upon reaching Gandy Blvd. in south Tampa. Now it extends to the Gandy Bridge. The segment will use all-electric billing for tolls.
Authorities have announced that the elevated extension will open on the afternoon of Monday, April 19. This means driving eastbound from Pinellas County over the Gandy Bridge can now take drivers all the way to Brandon without the traffic on Gandy Blvd.
This has been a $230 million project that began in 2018. Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority Executive Director Joe Waggoner said in a statement:
This project has been 25 years in the making, and I am thrilled it’s 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.
On April 19, the invitation only ribbon-cutting event will also include the presentation of a check to the City of Tampa. The $2 million from the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority will go toward rebuilding of parks near Gandy Blvd.
Take a look at the Selmon Expressway Extension from above in this video.
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[Source: THEA]
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