Westshore Interchange Construction Timeline

While we watch the new Howard Frankland Bridge get closer to completion, residents still only seem to care about what will happen to the dreaded Westshore/Veterans interchange. The interchange connects to many businesses, residents, malls, and the airport, so it often leads to traffic congestion at almost any time of day. We'll keep this post updated on the construction progress and timeline. But it will be years before the project is fully complete.

The new interchange project will add more general use and express lanes. The updated design also includes flyover ramps including the replacement of the existing loop ramp from eastbound SR 60 to northbound I-275. Other improvements for the interchange include:

Many pointed out one other thing to consider is how the Westshore Plaza demolition could impact this project. The timeline for the project has not been shared yet but we do know they plan to add new lanes on Kennedy Blvd to help traffic.

The FDOT will conduct this reconstruction in phases. We are still currently in the first "planning" phase. The Tampa Bay Business Journal was told by a FDOT spokesperson that the planning of the $1+ billion reconstruction "should end around this summer." Originally, construction was supposed to start in late 2024, but has been pushed back to 2025.

Below is the overall phasing plan for the Westshore Interchange construction. Again, keep in mind that projects like this take years to complete and are often halted by things like hurricane season, labor costs, and inflation challenges.

Updated June 2024

As you drive over the Howard Frankland Bridge, you see progress, but it's still pretty tough to imagine what all of this work is going to look like upon completion. Work won't finish until late 2025 according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The cost is expected to be about $865 million. Not patient enough to wait until 2025 to see what this is all going to look like? Nor am I. Here's a sneak preview from artist renditions shared by the Florida Department of Transportation.

A new southbound/westbound (from Tampa to St. Pete) bridge is what you see currently being built north of the current southbound/westbound bridge. It'll have 8 lanes - 4 for general use and 4 express lanes. There's a bike and pedestrian path in the plan. The bridge we use now to go from Tampa to St. Pete will become the new northbound/eastbound part of 275 once the new bridge is ready. The bridge we use to go from St. Pete to Tampa will be taken down.

As of May 2024:
- 100% of pilings have been driven.
- 99% of bridge footings have been completed.
- 98% of bridge columns have been completed.
- 92% of bridge caps have been completed.
- 77% of the bridge superstructure beams have been placed.
- 71% of bridge decks placed.

Not only are they making major progress on the structure of the bridge. But they have also finally repaved the 2 right lanes by the Martin Luther King JR exit. I'd imagine that the nice weather and lack of rain has helped them get some of this progress completed.

Many complain that this won't help with our traffic flow, especially with the malfunction junction exit going into the Veteran's/Clearwater. Well, don't worry. The FDOT is on that too, as apart of the Westshore Interchange reconstruction project.