More changes Tuesday to TIA area ramps

TAMPA - In an effort to smooth traffic near the West Shore business district, the Florida Department of Transportation will open several new ramps that are part of the Tampa airport interchange construction project on Tuesday.

Five new ramps are scheduled to open at Memorial Highway and the Veterans Expressway. In addition, the eastbound State Road 60/southbound Memorial Highway exit to Spruce Street will move back to a right-side exit.

There will be a new exit from eastbound S.R. 60/southbound Memorial to the west end of Cypress Street and another one from the west end of Cypress to eastbound Spruce.

A new ramp from George Bean Parkway, the exit from Tampa International Airport, to eastbound Spruce will also open, in addition to one from westbound S.R. 60/northbound Memorial Highway to eastbound Spruce.

The left-side George Bean Parkway exit to westbound S.R. 60/northbound Memorial Highway will move to a right-side exit that also takes traffic to the Veterans Expressway. This change is temporary while crews work on the new Spruce Street connection to westbound S.R. 60 and a new ramp away from the airport toward Clearwater.

Until the new ramp is complete, vehicles leaving the airport toward Clearwater on westbound S.R. 60 must merge left across two westbound lanes of S.R. 60/northbound Memorial.

"On the first few days, as usual, there will probably be a bit of confusion," said John McShaffrey, FDOT spokesman. "But it's been going really, really well, especially as of late. The changes we've been making are helping motorists."

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer
Graphic provided by FDOT

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