SR 56 Right Turn From Southbound I-75 Closed Through August

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — The right turn onto westbound State Road 56 from southbound Interstate 75 (Exit 275) is now closed and will remain closed through at least August.

Access to eastbound SR 56 from southbound I-75 will remain open.

Drivers should use Exit 279, turning right at the bottom of the ramp to go southwest on Wesley Chapel Boulevard (County Road 54) to SR 56.

Courtesy FDOT

The closure is part of a $33 million Florida Department of Transportation interchange improvement project designed to reduce traffic jams at the interchange.

This project will reconfigure the I-75/SR 56 interchange between CR 54 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard. The existing diamond interchange will be modified and converted to a diverging diamond interchange, a new design being used throughout the country to prevent congestion on highway exit ramps.

The diverging diamond interchange configuration has proven to increase safety and capacity while using a large amount of the existing interchange footprint, including the existing bridge.

The DDI was also has the ability to handle heavy left-turn volumes, such as the westbound to southbound movement from SR 56 to southbound I-75.

The main change will be to diverge (cross) SR 56 traffic to the left side of the road through the interchange, and then cross vehicles back over to the right side of the road on the opposite side of the interchange.

According to the FDOT, the expected benefits for the interchange include an increase in capacity, safety for pedestrian and bicyclists, shorter wait times, better sight distance at turns, and reducing vehicle delays and crashes by adding lanes and making the traffic signals more efficient.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2022.