FDOT details next phase of $1B Westshore Interchange rebuild at public open house

FDOT said the design will increase capacity and reduce the crisscross merging that contributes to backups and crashes.

TAMPA, Fla. — Drivers frustrated by congestion near Tampa International Airport got a closer look Wednesday at what’s ahead for the Westshore Interchange, as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) wrapped up a public open house on the massive reconstruction project.

The meeting marked the start of the next major phase of work at the interchange of I-275 and State Road 60, one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the Tampa Bay area.

For many commuters, the current traffic pattern is already a daily challenge.

“Frustrating,” one driver said of the interchange. Another added that it’s worse coming from downtown or along I-275.

Commuter Junior Garcia didn’t mince words.

“Right now? I’d say it’s a cluster. It’s a super cluster,” Garcia said, describing chaotic lane changes, near misses and confusion — especially at night or in the rain.

The Florida Department of Transportation says a long-planned rebuild is now moving forward.

FDOT hosted two open houses Wednesday — one online earlier in the day and an in-person event in the Westshore area — to walk residents through the scope, cost and timeline.

“This first part is $643 million. So it’s big,” said Zachary Stringer, an FDOT construction manager. “It has some of the most important movements of the overall program.”

The overall Westshore Interchange project is expected to cost about $1 billion and will fully reconstruct the interchange with new flyover ramps, wider lanes and improved access to the airport.

FDOT says the design will increase capacity and reduce the crisscross merging that contributes to backups and crashes.

Stringer said the project is focused on safety and mobility.

“It’s a safety and mobility project — keeping traffic moving and reducing congestion,” he said.

The current phase, known as Priority 1A, includes major flyover bridges, new ramps and express lanes. Construction begins this week and includes overnight ramp closures and detours expected to last for months. FDOT says work will continue through the end of the decade.

“This phase will take us up through 2030,” Stringer said.

FDOT officials stressed that traffic will continue moving during construction whenever possible.

“We’re building this while we’re keeping all directions of traffic open and only closing movements when it’s absolutely necessary,” Stringer said.

Beyond interstate traffic, the project also includes new overpasses and connections aimed at improving local circulation and linking surrounding neighborhoods, moving short trips off the interstate.

For commuters like Demonta Brown, the open house was an opportunity to see how the changes could affect daily routines.

“I just wanted to come out here and see the faces they’re going to work through and how that’s going to impact the community,” Brown said. “My route, getting to work sometimes — because I’m right off Westshore.”

Others said the long-term payoff could be worth the disruption.

“As soon as they get that done, it’ll be awesome,” Garcia said. “I think it’ll alleviate a lot more traffic in that area, and it would be a lot safer for everybody.”

FDOT says information from the open house — including project updates and traffic alerts — will remain available online as construction continues, and commuters can sign-up for traffic alerts as well as find out when future open houses are being held.