HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 Drivers in Hillsborough County are sitting in recurring congestion on Interstate 75 northbound near Big Bend Road, even after the interchange was reconfigured over the past few years.<\/p>\n
Lee McGill reached out to Real Time Traffic Expert Tim Wronka about delays between SR-674 and north of Big Bend Road. McGill said he is often prepared to stop when driving north on I-75 approaching Big Bend Road.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times, you\u2019re going to encounter heavy traffic on 75,\u201d McGill said. \u201cTo the point you\u2019re barely moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the delays are often seen during rush hour, McGill said the congestion can also happen outside traditional peak travel times.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times, this just starts backing up at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. in the afternoon,\u201d McGill said. \u201cAnd they\u2019re not considered peak traffic times.\u201d<\/p>\n
McGill said he believes the new on-ramp from Big Bend Road to I-75 north, which was completed last year, might be contributing to the issue. He said drivers entering from Big Bend Road have to merge with traffic already traveling north on I-75.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo they have to come over, and that forces traffic to slow down, and people then start moving to the left toward the passing lane,\u201d McGill said. \u201cAnd a lot of times, these three lanes are just blocked.\u201d<\/p>\n
McGill said he would like the Florida Department of Transportation to consider changes to help traffic move more smoothly through the area.<\/p>\n
FDOT officials say they are aware of the traffic congestion there, saying it\u2019s because of the amount of traffic flowing faster to I-75 thanks to the new interchange improvement project.<\/p>\n
Officials said part of the issue is increased development in south Hillsborough and Manatee counties that FDOT does not regulate. However, FDOT is asking for federal approval to add an auxiliary lane along 75 from Big Bend to Gibsonton to help with traffic delays.<\/p>\n
That is exactly what McGill said he is hoping to see.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe perfect way is to have a dedicated lane for those people coming off the ramp to get onto 75 first and then to get up to speed, so they\u2019re not cutting in front of the traffic and slowing the traffic down on 75,\u201d McGill said.<\/p>\n