Will New Slip Lanes On Selmon Expressway Reduce Congestion?

Is the Selmon Expressway part of your morning commute? Sitting in traffic can be brutal. Hopefully, you are tuned into your favorite morning radio show and enjoying some laughs. But either way, we have some good news.

Heading westbound on the Selmon Expressway in certain areas between South Tampa and downtown and near I-75 can be treacherous when it comes to traffic volume. I-4 Connector or Twiggs Street, you may soon get some relief from morning rush hour traffic.

Two newly built slip rams will improve traffic flow, according to the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority. Maybe you are saying, "What in the world is a slip ramp?" These are ramps that offer another entry point within the expressway. This way you can switch between the Selmon Expressway to the Reversible Express Lanes.

Drivers will be able to make a seamless transition, moving out of the express lanes to the local lanes. The drive for REI drivers will be uninterrupted all the way to Gandy without having to get off and get back on. Cut-through traffic won't be a problem because commuters will no longer have to exit at Twiggs in downtown.

The Selmon Expressway took a long time to come to fruition. It's opened up so many areas of town and offered convenience. I'm so happy they're addressing the commute congestion problem on the Selmon Expressway.

For more information about the newly opened slip ramps, click here.

The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority processes 58 million toll transactions a year. Leaders with the expressway authority say they plan to make over $1.2 billion in capital improvements to the community over the next 10 years.

For more on this story, visit our friends at ABC Action News.

So, what are the most targeted vehicles for car theft in Florida? Well, there is one item on these cars that is being stolen and thieves want their hands on it. The catalytic converter is being targeted now more than ever. It contains precious metals and those metals are getting more expensive. The report come from CARFAX, who put together a list of the top vehicles for car theft in Florida.

So, what is a catalytic converter? CARFAX says, "Catalytic converters are a key component of a car’s emissions control system, reducing the amount of pollution coming out of the tailpipe. They transform hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides – the bad stuff – into oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide." Inside the catalytic converter there are precious metals like: palladium, rhodium, and platinum.

Catalytic converters have been on cars since 1975. Electric cars don't have them because they don't have an exhaust system. It also doesn't take long to remove it. A small saw can remove it in less than 60 seconds.

How to prevent thieves from stealing it? Experts say to buy a catalytic converter anti-theft device. It is a metal plate that shops can add on to your car. You can also get your VIN number engraved on the converter. That makes it much tougher for the thief to sell it.

Check out the top cars that are being stolen below.

[SOURCE: ABC Action News]

The F-150 is the most popular vehicle in history. It also comes in #1 on the list.

It is America's second most sold mid-size sedan in terms of popularity. It is only behind the Toyota Camry.

The Prius is a hybrid and thieves are targeting those vehicles more. They contain more of the precious metals.

The crossover has been produced by Honda since 1995.

The Explorer was introduced in 1991, but they can thank Jurassic Park for taking it to the next level. It was the vehicle featured on the tour they go on in the movie.

The Econoline is a full size fan that has been around for over 60 years.

Chevy announced an EV of the Equinox, but the gas powered version is on this list.

The signature truck for Chevy. Thieves like this truck also.

First released in 1995. It has been named <em>Motor Trend</em>'s Truck of the Year before.