Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway
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The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway is a toll road in Hillsborough County, Florida, named after famed and respected football player and local hero Lee Roy Selmon. It connects I-75 in Brandon on the east side to southwest Tampa at the west side. The highway is of exceptional local notability for a collapse during its construction in 2004 of an elevated level to expand the expressway's capacity during the rush hours. It is also known as - but not signed as - State Road 618.
The elevated reversible lanes opened July 18, 2006 to westbound morning (06:00 to 10:00) traffic only. Entrances are provided from Town Center Boulevard in Brandon and from 78th Street; the only exit is to Meridian Street downtown. They are expected to open to eastbound traffic by August 31.St. Petersburg Times, [Crosstown's Brandon link opens Tuesday], July 17, 2006
Contents
The Crosstown Expressway System
The South Crosstown Expressway
- what is known today as the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway was orignally called the "South Crosstown Expressway", which was designated State Road 449. The original name can still be seen on many maps and atlases.
- Original routings had the expressway north of its present route, begining around Bay-to-Bay Blvd and following a CSX rail line to Cass St, and then cutting through central downtown, and ending around 50th St. In addition, there were plans to connect what is today, Ashley Dr to the expressway. However, this plan was thwarted probably due to the development in downtown. Instead, the route was shifted south, taking the expressway through southern downtown.
- Construction commenced on the South Crosstown Expresway in 1974 and opened in 1976. The route began at Gandy Blvd and straddled a CSX rail line through Palma Ceia and Hyde Park, relocating many homes and businesses and angering residents in the process. Until 1981, the expressway terminated at a pair of ghost ramps at Florida Ave (Exit 6A) in downtown.
- Construction commenced on an extension in 1979 due to population growth in Brandon and its toll on State Road 60 (Florida). The extension opened in 1981 and relocated the terminus to a partial interchange with Faulkenburg Rd (Exit 14)
- Construction of I-75 from Lutz to Hialeah in the late 1980s connected a trumpet interchange with the expressway.
- In the late 1990s, the South Crosstown Expressway was renamed the "Lee Roy Selmon-Crosstown Expressway"
The West Crosstown Expressway
- What was planned as the "West Crosstown Expressway" was designated as State Road 589 (Florida) and would have connected the exit at Willow Ave (Exit 4) to the current Veterans Expressway interchange with I-275 and Kennedy Boulevard. This connection was thwarted by public opposition.
- With the cancellation of this expressway, the designation changed to State Road 618, which mainly remained a secret designation until the late 1990s.
The North Crosstown Expressway
- Little is known about this leg of the Crosstown System. However, it would have run from State Road 60 in Brandon to the Courtney Campbell Causeway, straddling Hillsborough Ave for a portion of the route. The plan was killed in the 1960s/1970s due to high land acqusition costs. Including enviornmentally sensitive land east of the Veterans Expressway.
- It was because of this planned route, that the former Houlihan's Stadium (Where Raymond James Stadium is located today) was built at Dale Mabry Hwy and MLK Blvd. The route may have also contributed to the construction of the former Tampa Bay Center Mall (which has been closed and demolished).
Other Connectors
- Another proposed connection has been planned around Gandy Boulevard, bettween the current western terminus and the Gandy Bridge. This extension has frequently been delayed by public opposition, but remains on the books.
- A component connector to the Gandy proposal was rumored to connect the failed Gandy extension to Interstate 375 in St. Pete. However, it was just a rumor and not a practical plan.
- At the eastern terminus, there was also a proposal to extend the Expressway beyond Interstate 75 to the Polk Parkway.
- As mentioned above, there is a proposed connection to Interstate 4 that would stradle the 40th St corridor. the project will include truck-only lanes that would safely lead truck traffic to the Port of Tampa and thus eliminate truck traffic from 22nd and 21st Streets, which run through historic Ybor City. It is because of this project that the 39th St interchange was reduced to a half-diamond. the project is also responsible for the permanent closure of the 40th St interchange with I-4. Construction is targeted to begin around 2008/2009/2010.
The Reversable Lanes Project
- The reversable lanes project was originally envisioned in 1995 as an innovative idea to increase capacity along the Selmon Expressway from Downtown Tampa to Brandon. Planning began around 1995/1996, but final designs/planning were not made until the later 1990s.
- Construction commenced in 2003 but was halted in 2004 due to a bridge section collapse (view the [Crosstown collapse news report]. As a result of the collapse, the project was delayed for many months and the completion date was pushed back by a year.
- In spring 2005, two realligned sections of the Eastbound lanes opened. One section is between 22nd St and 39th St, the other between 78th St and I-75. The old allignments are now followed by the at-grade sections of the reversable lanes.
- The Brandon Gateway section of the elevated bridge opened in November 2005 and gained an overwhelmingly positive input by commuters. Thus the bridge was kept open beyond January 2006 (when it was originally scheduled to close for more bridge work) during the evening rush hour.
- On Tuesday, July 18, 2006, the westbound direction of the Reversible Lanes Bridge is scheduled to open to traffic after months of commuter headaches. The Eastbound direction will not open until August 30 due to final bridge work, such as lighting and signage installation, painting, and cleanup. If no problems persist (such as bad weather), the westbound direction of the bridge should open promptly at 6am. The bridge will then close for the day at 10am.
- A copy of the bridge's operating hours may be attainable from the [Hillsborough County Expressway Authority website] within the comming weeks.
- Please be aware that the new Reversible Lanes Bridge only accepts SunPass.
The
Due to the ever increasing amount of truck traffic that use I-4 to connect with the Port of Tampa and the effect on 22nd and 21st Streets through historic Ybor City. It became clear that an elevated highway connecting the Interstate and the Selmon Crosstown Expressway was needed to safely channel truck traffic to and from the port. One major accident involving a truck in Ybor City, could mean a huge disaster.
- Early planning for the highway began around 1999, with most of the major design stage completed in 2004/2005. However, funding did not become available for the connector project until a recent federal transportation bill passed.
- At this point, all major planning for the project is nearing completion but will not be finalized until late 2008. Right of Way Acquisition is already well underway and should be complete by early 2008.
- Construction of the connector should begin around 2009/2010.
Permanent road closures/revampments due to the connector project
- The 39th St exit was reduced to a half-diamond interchange in 2004. Its tolls were also removed.
- Also in 2004, the 40th St exit with I-4 was permanently closed.
Exit List
- Exit 1A/1B - Gandy Blvd (US 92)
- Exit 2 - Euclid Ave
- Exit 3 - Bay to Bay Blvd/Mac Dill Ave
- Exit 4 - Willow Ave/Platt St
- Exit 5 - Hyde Park Ave/Cleaveland St
- Exit 6A - Florida Ave
- Exit 6B - Channelside Dr/Morgan St
- Exit 7 - Morgan St/Borien St
- Exit 8 - Kennedy Blvd (State Road 60 (Florida))
- Exit 9 - 22nd St/21st St/20th St
- Exit 9A (Future) - Interstate 4 Connector (Proposed)
- Exit 10 - 39th St
- Exit 11 - 50th St (US 41)
- Exit 12 - 78th St
- Exit 13 - US 301
- Exit 14 - Faulkenburg Rd
- Exit 15A/B - Interstate 75
Tolls
- Willow Mainline: $1.00 Cash/75 Cents SunPass
- Palm River/78th St Mainline: $1.25 Cash/$1.00 SunPass
- Willow Ave, Hyde Park Ave, 22nd St, and 50th St Exits: 75 Cents Cash/50 Cents SunPass (All other exits are not tolled.)
- Reversible Lanes Bridge: $1.00 SunPass ONLY
Other Mishaps
- There have been a couple of lesser known mishaps that occured on the Selmon Expressway in recent years.
- *In 2000, a city truck, equipped with a hydroulic lift slammed into the 50th St overpass when the vehicle's lift was unknowingly raised. The accident crippled a support beam, which had to be replaced.
- *In 2005, a similar vehicle destroyed the overhead exit sign at Euclid Ave (Exit 2). It was over a month after the incident occured that a replacement sign (and structure) were installed.
- *Over the years there have been a few accidents that made headlines, where vehicles, traveling at high speeds, crashed in to one of the toll plazas.
Misc.
- In 2004, the Hillsborough County Expressway Authority accelerated a planned toll hike from its original date in 2009 to 2007. The plan would increase the mainline toll plazas by 25 cents and raise the 22nd St Exit tolls to 75 cents. The toll hike takes effect sometime in early 2007. The hike for the 22nd St ramps however, went in effect in late June.
- The final cost of the Reversible Lanes Bridge (including mishap): $420 million and four years of construction.
References
External links
- [Gandy plans on hold, for now] St. Petersburg Times - December 4, 2002.
- [Hillsbrough County Expressway Authority Website] The Tampa expressway authority that owns Selmon-Crosstown Expressway.
- [link] I-4/Crosstown Connector Project page.
- [Florida Route Log(SR 618)]
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