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I-275 traffic into Tampa flows smoothly after weeks of infuriating backups

 
Published Feb. 9, 2016

TAMPA — Commuters who travel north along Interstate 275 into Tampa can breathe a sigh of sweet relief: two lanes opened Tuesday morning on the congested stretch of highway between Lois and Armenia Avenues, easing the bumper-to-bumper traffic that plagued that stretch of the interstate for a month.

The Florida Department of Transportation reopened the northbound I-275 lanes after shutting them down Monday and detouring traffic off the highway overnight. That's so crews could work through the night to open a new lane from N West Shore Boulevard to east of Himes Avenue and re-open an auxiliary lane east of Himes that had been closed since Jan. 12.

Tuesday morning traffic scooted right along, save for a brief bout of congestion where the Howard Frankland Bridge flows into south Tampa near the interchange with the Veterans Expressway. It was nothing compared to the past few weeks, when the interstate, from the bridge to downtown Tampa, resembled a parking lot.

FDOT originally estimated it would take six to eight weeks to reopen the auxiliary, exit-only lane that stretched from N Dale Mabry Highway to Armenia. The closing of that auxiliary lane is what caused the traffic jams and infuriated drivers as four lanes shrunk to three. FDOT was able to reopen lanes after four weeks of construction — two weeks earlier than expected. That stretch of I-275 is now at five lanes.

Tuesday's change is "the last big shift" in the highway project that has snarled traffic since 2012. FDOT aims to complete the project this summer, which would be six months ahead of schedule.

Times staff writer Hanna Marcus contributed to this report.