TAMPA, Fla. – If your late-night commute takes you through the heart of Tampa early this week, prepare for a detour. State transportation officials are temporarily closing all travel lanes on westbound I-4 through the Downtown Tampa Interchange.
The nighttime shutdowns are scheduled for Monday, January 12, and Wednesday, January 14. Weather permitting, the lanes will be blocked off from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning.
According to officials, the closure is necessary to allow crews to safely install overhead sign structures. This work is part of the ongoing Downtown Tampa Interchange Safety and Operational Improvements project designed to ease congestion in the notorious bottleneck where I-4 meets I-275.
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The Detour
Drivers heading west on I-4 won’t be able to push through the interchange directly. Instead, traffic will be diverted onto the Selmon Connector. From there, motorists will continue onto the Selmon Expressway (SR 618) and use Exit 8 to reach Kennedy Boulevard (SR 60).
To help ease the pain of the detour, tolls on the westbound Selmon Expressway will be suspended between the connector and Exit 8 during the closure hours.
Once on Kennedy Boulevard, drivers have two options to get back to the interstate:
- For I-275 South: Continue west on Kennedy, turn right onto Ashley Drive, and use the southbound entrance ramp.
- For I-275 North: Continue west on Kennedy, turn right onto Jefferson Street, head north to Orange Avenue, and hop on the northbound entrance ramp.
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Tuesday Morning Ramp Closure
In addition to the main line closures, a brief shutdown is planned for the wee hours of Tuesday, January 13. From 12:01 a.m. to 2 a.m., the ramp connecting northbound I-275 to eastbound I-4 will be closed to remove an old sign structure.
Drivers needing to go east on I-4 during that two-hour window will have to drive past the interchange to Exit 46B (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.), turn left, and get back on I-275 South to catch the eastbound I-4 exit.
Electronic message boards are already in place to guide drivers through the detours. Motorists are urged to slow down and stay alert for construction workers throughout the work zone.
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