HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Plans to extend the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway are in the works after the Board of County Commissioners gave the green light for transportation leaders to begin the planning process for the $1.8 billion project on Thursday.
"We are seeing growth in our system that's 19% above where we were pre-pandemic levels and we're seeing that growth not only during the peaks, we're seeing that growth in the middle of the day," said Gregory Slater, the executive director for Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA).
The project has plans to extend the Selmon for 10 miles from its current eastern end in Brandon down to Big Bend Road in Riverview.
"A project like this could provide relief on 301. It could provide some relief on I-75 and some of that surrounding system," Slater added.
THEA said the project could save drivers at least 30 minutes during peak rush hour.
"I live in the Riverview area and commuting to, let's say, somewhere in Tampa... on a busy day, could easily take anywhere from 30 minutes, 45 minutes, even an hour," said Angel Baez, owner of F45 Training Progress Village in Riverview.
Baez said less traffic could mean more business.
"That's one of the main reasons why our members cancel or they just don't make it at all because of the traffic," Baez added.
Leaders said extended Selmon would look a lot like Gandy Boulevard. It would include a four-lane toll road with two lanes in each direction and would be elevated in the median on U.S. 301. It will be right along Frankie's Italian Deli.
"A lot of our customers complain. They hear that we're in Riverview, and they're like, oh my god, we have to go to Riverview," said Francesca Leo, the owner.
Leo told us she's eager to see how this plan could impact business.
"I do feel like traffic, especially during that after-school rush or maybe that morning rush, we definitely see a slower time here. But we look out the window and 301 is backed up," Leo explained.
It'll be a while before Baez and Leo reap any benefits from the expected congestion relief. The planning process is expected to take about two years and will include input from the community.
"About three-quarters of the way through that, we'll start to have a much better sense of what an implementation plan could look like, what a final solution could look like," Slater said.
The full project is slated for sometime in 2040. Thursday, during a meeting, some county commissioners pushed for the project to be done sooner.
"It will be helpful for us business owners, community members, just anybody, in general, trying to get in and out of the area, so as soon as possible," Baez added.
THEA said the $1.8 billion project will be funded through toll revenue.
Full details of the project are below.
