Plans to extend the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway are in the works after the Board of County Commissioners given the go-ahead for transportation leaders to begin the $1.8 billion project planning process.
“We’re seeing growth in our system that’s 19% above pre-pandemic levels, and we’re seeing that growth not only during the peaks, but also in the middle of the day,” said Gregory Slater, executive director of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA).
The Selmon will be extended for ten miles from its existing eastern end in Brandon to Big Bend Road in Riverview as part of the project.
“A project like this could provide relief on 301. It could provide some relief on I-75 and some of that surrounding system,” Slater added.
THEA said the project could save drivers at least 30 minutes during peak rush hour.
“I live in the Riverview area and commuting to, let’s say, somewhere in Tampa… on a busy day, could easily take anywhere from 30 minutes, 45 minutes, even an hour,” said Angel Baez, owner of F45 Training Progress Village in Riverview.
Baez said less traffic could mean more business.
“That’s one of the main reasons why our members cancel or they just don’t make it at all because of the traffic,” Baez added.
Leaders said extended Selmon would look a lot like Gandy Boulevard. It would include a four-lane toll road with two lanes in each direction and would be elevated in the median on U.S. 301. It will be right along Frankie’s Italian Deli.
“About three-quarters of the way through that, we’ll start to have a much better sense of what an implementation plan could look like, what a final solution could look like,” Slater said.
The full project is slated for sometime in 2040. Thursday, during a meeting, some county commissioners pushed for the project to be done sooner.
“It will be helpful for us business owners, community members, just anybody, in general, trying to get in and out of the area, so as soon as possible,” Baez added.
THEA said the $1.8 billion project will be funded through toll revenue.
See full details of the Selmon Expressway Extension Project here: