Expressway Authority Opens Selmon West Extension Monday

TAMPA, FL — It's less than 2 miles long. But for residents who commute between Pinellas and Hillsborough County every day for work, that 2 miles makes all the difference in the world.

Monday's long-awaited opening of the western extension of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway is expected to save commuters hours of driving time each month by providing a direct connection from Brandon to Pinellas County.

“This project has been 25 years in the making, and I am thrilled it’s finally ready to open," said Joe Waggoner, executive director of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, calling it an innovative and aesthetically pleasing design.

Construction of the 1.9-mile elevated toll lane project began in late 2018 and will officially open to the public Monday afternoon. The $230 million project was funded using toll revenues and bonds.

It's not just commuters who are celebrating the completion of the extension.

For three years, business owners along Gandy Boulevard in South Tampa have had to put up with construction lane closures, detours and bulldozers blocking their accesses, resulting in a major loss of income.

To ease traffic impacts, THEA agreed not to close driveways or lanes during rush hour. Additionally, the expressway authority collaborated with Gandy businesses on a Shop Gandy campaign to let customers know that, despite the presence of heavy construction equipment, Gandy Boulevard businesses were open and eager for their business.

Business owners were also concerned that their businesses’ sightline would be blocked by the extension bridge since most bridges are only 15 feet off the ground.

THEA, therefore, agreed to build the Selmon Extension 30 feet from the ground to the bottom of the bridge. The bridge uses 27 distinctive"fins" in between lanes to support the bridge deck, enabling longer spans between the 35 pier columns.

In 2006, THEA completed the Selmon Expressway’s Reversible Express Lanes, the world's first reversible all-electronic elevated express lane project, giving commuters a straight shot from downtown Tampa to Brandon without exit or entry ramps to slow traffic.

Waggoner said the Selmon West Extension will provide a similar option. Drivers can either exit at a new Dale Mabry Highway exit and continue on Gandy Boulevard to local destinations or use the Selmon West Extension to bypass the local traffic. The cost to use the extension is 95 cents with a SunPass,or $1.31 with toll-by-plate billing.

At the request of residents and business owners, the extension includes a design painted in blue and white and is outfitted with LED lights that can change color, similar to those that were added to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

The expressway authority included about 1,000 trees and other greenery in the landscape design.

“The Selmon Extension provides a critical link that connects businesses, freight and people from Pinellas County to Hillsborough County," said Vincent Cassidy, chairman of the THEA Board of Directors. "It will help stimulate social and economic prosperity for local businesses and the entire region. We are proud of the design and the execution and the fact we were able to keep people employed and keep construction moving forward during the pandemic."

By continuing construction during the coronavirus pandemic, Cassidy said THEA preserved more than 300 local jobs.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Monday by invitation only. During the ceremony, THEA will also present the city of Tampa a $2 million check to rebuild the parks on the north and south side of Gandy Boulevard, which were used as staging areas during construction.