Tampa: I-275/Kennedy Flyover

[Fred Defender]

Again, it's been a while since I've checked in here and it's entirely possible (likely) that this has been talked about before. But I cannot get FDOT to respond, so here goes:

With the tens (hundreds?) of millions of dollars being/having been spent to rebuild I-275 between Memorial Blvd and I-4 in Tampa, WHY on God's Earth does FDOT persist with the 1959-era Kennedy Blvd flyover at the eastern end of the Howard Frankland Bridge? The darned flyover has horizontal clearance for only two lanes and it represents a perpetual bottleneck - both directions but especially northbound (eastbound). The eastbound Frankland has four lanes which has to neck down to two in oder to get under the flyover. I visit Pinellas from Alachua County regularly on business. If I am driving out in the evening, I don't even bother with 275; I drive back roads through northern Pinellas/Hillsborough to SR54/56 to access I-75 North.

FDOT replaced the similarly designed 4th St flyover on the other side of the bridge a good fifteen years ago. No problems there. If they cannot afford to build a NEW flyover at Kennedy, why not just remove it and force eastbound Kennedy traffic onto Memorial to access I-275 South (west)?

[Alex]

I have seen the plans, but funding has continued to push back construction on it. Work will take place sometime after next year when the I-275 upgrade is finally completed. Subsequent work planned will again upgrade the Downtown Interchange at I-4/275 a few years from now too. This will coincide with the addition of HOT lanes to I-275.