Workers are finishing up a 2,000-foot stretch of Tampa’s Riverwalk expansion. The section runs beside the University of Tampa campus and should open before the year ends. This 12-foot-wide path connects Plant Park to Cass Street. Dozens of palm trees line the route. Hammock stations dot the walkway. New lights will brighten evening strolls.
This piece fits into something bigger — the West River BUILD project. The full plan brings two miles of new riverwalk and three miles of better roads to Tampa.
“We have six different segments of the West River multi-modal project,” said City of Tampa’s Mobility Director Brandon Campbell, according to FOX 13 News. “This is one of five that are under construction right now. The sixth being the Columbus Drive segment that we are working with Hillsborough County. It is a Hillsborough County-owned roadway.”
The whole thing costs close to $60 million. The project will link West Tampa, East Tampa, and downtown when finished. Picture this: a continuous 12-mile walkway stretching from Water Street all the way to Ballast Point.
Five segments are getting built right now. Campbell said workers want to begin the last Columbus Drive segment before the year wraps up, though city leaders are still ironing out plans with Hillsborough County.
The piece running along the University of Tampa’s campus should be ready before year’s end. No exact opening date has been announced yet. City officials haven’t announced when people can start using the Plant Park to Cass Street section.
Spring should see all six sections done. Nobody knows exactly when work on the Columbus Drive segment will kick off.
City of Tampa officials met with University of Tampa representatives to talk about the project. They held a news conference at the West Riverwalk construction site.