Fog, new ramps lead to traffic slowdowns

A view of traffic at Tampa International Airport at 7 a.m. this morning. [LUIS PEREZ | Times]

Major traffic slowdowns are being reported this morning near Tampa International Airport.

The bottlenecks are a result of fog and several major traffic changes that took effect this morning.

The National Weather Service says dense fog could continue until midmorning, limiting visibility in some areas to a half-mile.

Florida Department of Transportation spokesman John McShaffrey conceded that some of the delays may be caused by drivers who are still veering into the right lane when getting off the Veterans Expressway.

But McShaffrey said that overall the 7 a.m. rush, considered one of the peak morning traffic periods, was not bad. "There's some ebb and flow to this stuff," he said. "We all see an occasional slowdown, and that's for a few seconds and then it's over." The second busiest traffic period is just before 9 a.m., McShaffrey said.

Electronic signs warning of the changes are posted on the road, and orange traffic cones are everywhere.

In short, five new ramps have opened. The changes are:

1) If you're headed east on State Road 60 or south on Memorial Highway, the Spruce Street exit is back on the right side. You'll also see a new exit leading the west end of Cypress Street.

3) If you're coming from the George Bean Parkway headed to the Veterans Expressway, get in your right lane. The exit on the left has switched.

4) If you're westbound on SR 60 headed to Clearwater at the airport, you want to merge left across two westbound lanes.

5) There's also new right exit from the airport, from the outbound George Bean Parkway, and from westbound SR 60/northbound Memorial Highway.

Stay tuned to This Just In for updates on traffic conditions.

Luis Perez, Times staff writer

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