{"id":357588,"date":"2026-07-30T14:06:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T14:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/357588\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:06:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T14:06:34","slug":"preparing-tampa-bay-for-the-next-generation-of-growth-83-degrees-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/357588\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing Tampa Bay for the next generation of growth \u2013 83 Degrees Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Aerial view of the Selmon Expressway (THEA)<\/p>\n

\u00a0Tampa Bay is entering one of the most significant periods of growth in its history. Downtown\u00a0Tampa and the surrounding neighborhoods are rapidly transforming as more people choose to\u00a0call the region home. Growth creates opportunity, but it also places greater demands on the\u00a0transportation network connecting people to jobs, healthcare, entertainment, education, and\u00a0each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meeting that demand requires planning for where Tampa Bay is heading.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) owns and operates the Lee Roy Selmon\u00a0Expressway system, a critical urban transportation network connecting communities throughout\u00a0the region to Downtown Tampa and beyond. More than an expressway, the Selmon system\u00a0connects people to where they live, work, invest, and gather.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With Tampa Bay\u2019s continued growth in mind, THEA\u2019s Board of Directors has approved a $767.7\u00a0million, six-year Work Program focused on strengthening mobility, modernizing operations, and\u00a0preparing the region for the future. More than 83 percent of the program is dedicated to\u00a0enhancement and capacity projects, while also advancing technology, preserving critical\u00a0infrastructure, and investing in stronger community connections.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Investing in a transportation network built for growth\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every commute, freight delivery, sporting event, hospital visit, and evening downtown depends\u00a0on reliable transportation. As Tampa Bay grows, maintaining that reliability requires continued\u00a0investment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

THEA plans to invest across the Selmon Expressway system, expanding capacity, preserving\u00a0critical infrastructure, modernizing technology, and improving the customer experience.\u00a0Together, these investments strengthen today\u2019s network while preparing it for tomorrow\u2019s\u00a0transportation demands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The South Selmon Expressway (THEA)\"\"Rendering of the Whiting Street Project (THEA)<\/p>\n

The South Selmon Capacity Project represents the largest investment in the program, adding a\u00a0lane in each direction from west of Himes Avenue in South Tampa to east of Florida Avenue in\u00a0Downtown Tampa. The project includes a signature Hillsborough River Bridge, upgraded\u00a0underpasses, improved stormwater management, residential noise walls, and other corridor\u00a0enhancements that improve mobility while investing in surrounding communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Following completion of the downtown portion of the South Selmon Capacity Project, THEA will\u00a0advance the Whiting Street Project, which will help alleviate game-day and entertainment\u00a0congestion into Benchmark International Arena and improve pedestrian safety in the urban core.\u00a0The Selmon East Expressway Capacity Project will follow. At the same time, planning continues\u00a0along US 301, where THEA is evaluating opportunities to expand the expressway system and\u00a0improve mobility along one of the region\u2019s fastest-growing corridors between the Selmon\u00a0Expressway and Sun City Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Complementing these major capital projects are system-wide investments in corridor\u00a0improvements, bridge preservation, roadway rehabilitation, and next-generation tolling and traffic management technology. Together, these initiatives represent a coordinated strategy to\u00a0modernize the Selmon Expressway system from end to end while preparing for continued\u00a0growth and evolving travel patterns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Infrastructure that connects communities\u00a0<\/p>\n

Transportation infrastructure influences far more than travel times. It influences where people\u00a0choose to live, how businesses grow, and how communities remain connected. It shapes\u00a0neighborhoods, supports economic development, and determines how easily people move\u00a0throughout a city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That understanding guides THEA\u2019s long-term investment strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the Selmon Greenway to improvements throughout the system, THEA is focused on\u00a0connecting neighborhoods on, under, and around the corridor, linking people to jobs,\u00a0opportunity, recreation, and each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Growth within Downtown Tampa creates new opportunities to rethink how transportation\u00a0infrastructure supports neighborhood connectivity and quality of life. Future investments include\u00a012th Street Park, the Meridian Health Trail, and activation near Ybor Harbor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Florida, shade is a commodity. The continued expansion of the Selmon Greenway reflects a\u00a0broader vision for transportation infrastructure that creates places where people want to spend\u00a0time, supports active transportation, and strengthens connections between neighborhoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The Selmon Greenway (THEA)\"\"Meridian Avenue in Downtown Tampa (THEA)\"\"Design rendering for 12th Street Park (THEA)<\/p>\n

Technology built into every investment\u00a0<\/p>\n

Technology is becoming increasingly integrated into every aspect of the transportation network.\u00a0Through the work program, THEA is advancing intelligent transportation systems, connected\u00a0vehicle technology, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, wrong-way driving detection, next-generation tolling, and its Downtown Brain to create a smarter, more responsive system that\u00a0improves safety, traffic flow, reliability, and the customer experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking beyond today\u2019s projects\u00a0<\/p>\n

A transportation work program is more than a list of construction projects. It reflects how a\u00a0region chooses to prepare for its future.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every investment within THEA\u2019s work program supports the same objective: creating a\u00a0transportation network that is safe, reliable, and connected while improving how people move\u00a0throughout Tampa Bay and enhancing the communities connected by the Selmon Expressway\u00a0System.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By investing in capacity, infrastructure, technology, and community connections today, THEA is\u00a0preparing Tampa Bay for where it is heading.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For more information, go to THEA<\/a><\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aerial view of the Selmon Expressway (THEA) \u00a0Tampa Bay is entering one of the most significant periods of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":357589,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1127,6184,18364,2161,2160,135,137,136],"class_list":["post-357588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-construction","tag-downtown-tampa","tag-engineering","tag-government","tag-reuse-rebuild","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}