TAMPA, Fla. — Drivers planning late-night trips onto westbound Interstate 4 this week will need to adjust their routes. The westbound I-4 entrance ramp from State Road 574, also known as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is scheduled to close for consecutive nights on Wednesday, May 20, and Thursday, May 21.
The overnight closures will begin at 11 p.m. and run until 6 a.m. each morning, though transportation officials noted the schedule depends on favorable weather.
To bypass the closure, the state has outlined a specific detour route. Motorists will need to continue heading west on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, make a left turn onto 50th Street (State Road 583), and then take a right onto Columbus Drive to reach the next available westbound I-4 entrance ramp.
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Electronic message boards and roadside signage will be placed along the route to guide drivers through the detour. Officials are advising motorists to stay alert for construction crews and to use extra caution when driving through the active work zone.
The temporary closures are required as part of the ongoing I-4 westbound auxiliary lane project. The construction effort aims to add an extra travel lane to the interstate between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Exit 5 and 50th Street at Exit 3.
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