ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Drivers navigating the north side of St. Petersburg need to brace for some serious steering wheel time. Starting Thursday night, April 9, the Florida Department of Transportation is shutting down two major access points at the Interstate 275 and 54th Avenue North interchange.
This isn’t just a weekend fix; the ramps are expected to stay closed until at least the summer or fall of 2026.
The closures affect anyone trying to hop off the southbound I-275 exit at 54th Avenue North (Exit 26) and those trying to get onto the southbound interstate from westbound 54th Avenue North.
These changes are part of the larger, ongoing project to widen I-275 between 38th Avenue North and 4th Street North.
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If you usually take Exit 26 to get home or to work, you’ll now have to stay on the highway until 38th Avenue North (Exit 25). From there, the official detour sends you right on 38th Avenue, right again onto US 19 (34th Street North), and then north back up to 54th Avenue.
For those trying to get onto the interstate from 54th Avenue North, the path is essentially the reverse. You’ll be directed to keep driving west past the closed ramp, hang a left to go south on US 19, then another left onto 38th Avenue North to catch the southbound I-275 entrance ramp there.
Construction crews will be putting up signs to help navigate these loops, but officials are urging commuters to bake some extra “buffer time” into their morning and evening drives. With these ramps out of commission for more than a year, the usual surface street shortcuts are likely to get much more crowded.
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