TAMPA, Fla. – Late-night travelers and airport staff should prepare for a bit of extra navigation as construction crews continue a series of nighttime ramp closures in the Tampa area.
Starting March 1, the work will affect the busy corridors linking Tampa International Airport, Spruce Street, SR 60, and the northbound Veterans Expressway. These closures are scheduled to take place Sunday through Thursday nights, specifically during the weeks of March 1 and March 8.
Drivers hitting the road between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. will need to follow posted detour signs, as several key interchanges will be blocked off to allow for ongoing maintenance or improvements. For those heading away from the airport terminals, the standard route to the expressway will be temporarily redirected.
Instead of the usual flow, motorists will be guided onto the Spruce Street ramp, where they will need to stay right at the fork. From there, the detour sends traffic eastbound on Spruce Street to Westshore Boulevard. A right turn on Westshore followed by another right on Kennedy Boulevard will eventually lead drivers back toward the SR 60 and SR 589 ramps.
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Those already traveling westbound on Spruce Street won’t be able to access the ramps directly either. Their detour involves looping around the work zone via Westshore and Kennedy Boulevards to reach their destinations.
Additionally, the transition from eastbound SR 60 to the northbound Veterans Expressway will see its own set of shifts.
Drivers on this path will be directed to stay right at the fork toward the Spruce Street exit, perform a U-turn at the O’Brien Street traffic signal, and then head west on Spruce to find the entrance for the expressway.
Electronic message boards and temporary road signs are already being positioned to help steer traffic through these shifts. While the closures are planned to wrap up by 5 a.m. each morning, the schedule remains weather-dependent.
Local officials are urging everyone behind the wheel to slow down and keep a sharp eye out for workers standing near the active construction zones during these overnight shifts.
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