West River build project West River build project

The public can weigh in on plans to expand the Riverwalk to connect the neighborhoods of West Tampa. FOX 13’s Kellie Cowan reports. 

TAMPA, Fla. – The next phase of the Tampa West River BUILD project is focused on improving connections between downtown and the surrounding West Tampa neighborhoods.

What we know:

Construction is now underway to extend the Riverwalk along the west bank of the Hillsborough River while also creating a broader loop of safer corridors for pedestrians and cyclists.

The work is part of a six-segment project that will create a 12.2-mile connected corridor. 

Segments three through six focus on road improvements on the west side of the Hillsborough River, creating a continuous loop with the existing Riverwalk and connecting downtown to Hyde Park, Old West Tampa, and Tampa Heights.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Tampa breaks ground on West Riverwalk project

Planned improvements include separated cycling infrastructure along Platt Street, Rome Avenue, and Columbus Drive, as well as protected intersections, upgraded crosswalks, and wider sidewalks.

What they’re saying:

“We’re basically in a perpetual growth mode and so we’re always looking for ways to better connect the community, whether that means making road improvements, traffic-calming, adding sidewalks, adding cycling infrastructure, whatever tools that we have available to us, we bring to bear to help get people around and this project in itself does really create a true network on the west side of the river,” said Brandon Campbell, interim mobility director for the city of Tampa. “This project surrounds a lot of the West Tampa area, including multiple parks that have been improved over the last few years, the University of Tampa, and connects all the way down into Bayshore. So we’ll have, when all is said and done, a continuous connection from Ballast Point all the up to Columbus, and then back around to our major works.”  

What’s next:

Segments three and four are the focus of a pre-construction meeting being held tonight at Beulah Baptist Institutional Church in Tampa. The meeting runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

City leaders say the final segment of the West River Build Project is expected to be completed by early next year.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the City of Tampa and a pre-construction meeting announcement for the West River Build Project.

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