We decided to head to Picnic Island in south Tampa today, but first I wanted to document the historic west end of U.S. 92 in Tampa today for Dale Sanderson. For a period of time, U.S. 92 traveled west to Tampa from Plant City and ended at U.S. 41 (Nebraska Avenue) via Hillsborough Avenue. The highway was then extended west to its present terminus in St. Petersburg (junction of Florida 595 and 687). So we took the opportunity to document all of the perspectives of that intersection, which includes the beginning of signed Florida 45 (Florida 45 is the secret state road for U.S. 41 north of Hillsborough Avenue).
After that, we traveled south along Florida 45 into downtown Tampa where he hooked up with the LeRoy Selmon – Tampa Crosstown Expressway, otherwise known as Florida 618 Toll. The four-lane highway travels a viaduct through the central business district area and along railroad right-of-way from the Hillsborough River south to junction U.S. 92 (Dale Mabry Highway/Gandy Boulevard) near MacDill A.F.B. The toll road is notable in that it features elevated reversible lanes, a facility that opened to traffic from the downtown area to Brandon just last month.
Overheads and other large guide signs are situated throughout downtown Tampa touting the way to the Crosstown Expressway. This particular assembly exists on Florida 60 (Kennedy Boulevard) westbound at Jefferson Street.
Jefferson Street leads south to the St. Pete Times Forum, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL franchise. A set of older Tampa Crosstown trailblazers featuring the pirate direct motorists onto Brorein Street ahead of the entertainment venue.
A westbound on-ramp joins the Crosstown from Brorein Street west of Morgan Street,. Florida 618 Toll continues southwest through the central business district to its crossing of the Hillsborough River. Skyscrapers associated with downtown rise just north of the four-lane toll road.
Crossing the Hillsborough River along the Crosstown Expressway westbound. More of Tampa’s skyscrapers line the river.
Exit 5 departs Florida 618 Toll westbound for Hyde Park Avenue via the parallel Brorein Street. Hyde Park Avenue joins downtown Tampa with Davis Island and Tampa General Hospital.
The Crosstown turns southwest at the Exit 4 off-ramp for Willow Avenue. Much of Tampa is orientated along a grid of north-south and east-west streets. Willow Avenue travels north from Bayshore Boulevard to Chestnut Street.
The toll road cuts through neighborhoods close to the Tampa Bayshore on its path southward to junction U.S. 92. U.S. 92 travels south along the commercialized Dale Mabry Highway to Gandy Boulevard. Gandy Boulevard connects U.S. 92 with St. Petersburg via the Gandy Bridge. Florida 618 Toll ends at a partial-cloverleaf interchange near U.S. 92’s turn from Dale Mabry onto Gandy.
A look at the eastbound beginning of the Crosstown Expressway from U.S. 92 (Gandy Boulevard) east. U.S. 92 turns onto Dale Mabry Highway ahead. At the same intersection is the beginning of Florida 573, the state road associated with Dale Mabry between U.S. 92 and the entrance to MacDill A.F.B.
