ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Drivers bracing for a major shake-up on Southbound I-275 in Pinellas County have been granted a temporary reprieve. The substantial traffic shift originally slated to begin this week between Roosevelt Boulevard and 38th Avenue North has been postponed until further notice.
Project officials confirmed that the work to move southbound traffic toward the median—and the associated changes to the Express Lane—will not happen as originally planned. While a new start date hasn’t been set in stone, drivers shouldn’t expect the new alignment to go into effect before Monday, January 19, at the earliest. Officials plan to release confirmed dates once the schedule is finalized.
However, the postponement of the traffic shift doesn’t mean the interstate will be free of orange cones this week.
Crews are proceeding with previously scheduled nightly lane closures to tackle other aspects of the project. Motorists traveling in both directions between 38th Avenue North (Exit 25) and Roosevelt Boulevard (Exit 28) should still anticipate delays and closures. These work zones will be active nightly from 8:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., running from Tuesday, January 13, through the night of Thursday, January 15.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Commuters heading south through Pinellas County should prepare for a change in routine starting Monday night, as crews implement a major traffic shift on Interstate 275.
Beginning the night of January 12, drivers traveling southbound between Roosevelt Boulevard (Exit 30) and 38th Avenue North (Exit 25) will encounter nightly lane closures and a new, around-the-clock lane alignment. According to project officials, the shift is necessary to accommodate the ongoing widening of the interstate.
Under the new configuration, general-use lanes will be pushed toward the highway median. The southbound tolled Express Lane is also moving closer to the median but will see a significant operational change: it is being shortened by approximately eight-tenths of a mile.
READ: Pinellas County Traffic Alert: Skyway Bridge And Key Routes Face Major Closures Jan 11-17
To set up these new patterns, crews have scheduled overnight lane closures for the general-use lanes from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. The closures are currently planned for Monday, January 12 through Thursday, January 15. If necessary, additional work may occur on the nights of Sunday, January 18, and Monday, January 19.
The southbound Express Lane itself will shut down completely from its entry point at 4th Street North to just south of Gandy Boulevard on Monday and Tuesday nights (January 12 and 13) during the same 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. window. During these closures, traffic will be directed to use the general lanes.
Officials are urging drivers to stay alert, particularly regarding a new merge location. Traffic exiting the southbound Express Lane will now merge into the general-use lanes before Gandy Boulevard. These shifts and the new merge area will remain in place for the upcoming phases of the widening project.
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