Construction will begin this spring on a $362 million reconstruction and widening of the South Selmon Expressway, launching a four-year overhaul of one of Tampa’s most critical commuter corridors.
Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority President and CEO Greg Slater told Tampa City Council the project will rebuild the south segment of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway from the Hillsborough River bridge near the convention center to Gandy Boulevard.
Crews will add one lane in each direction, rebuild bridges and redesign underpasses, all within the existing right of way.
Slater said the authority will fund the project entirely through toll revenue generated on the expressway.
“We don’t take any tax dollars,” Slater said.
THEA awarded the construction contract in September 2025 and entered the design phase in November.
Slater said residents will begin to see surveying and early field work this spring. Presentation materials list spring 2026 as the construction start, spring 2028 for completion of the east end and winter 2030 for full completion.
Downtown first, with a $5 million push to move fast
The project begins in the city’s most visible stretch.
THEA built a $5 million incentive into the contract to start work near the convention center and move out of downtown quickly.
“We want to minimize that disruption in downtown and be out of that area,” Slater told council members.
Traffic already tightens in the afternoon peak. Around 3:30 p.m. most weekdays, vehicles begin backing up along the Selmon, and council member Bill Carlson said the slowdown can stretch from Gandy to downtown.
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He asked whether the expansion would ease what he described as a bottleneck near the urban core, particularly as downtown events and daily commuters converge.
Slater said the widening will work in tandem with traffic technology upgrades and a separate downtown ramp project to improve flow.
One more lane each way, plus safer merges
The reconstruction adds one lane in each direction along the inside of the expressway.
Slater said much of the pavement already exists, but crews will close structural gaps and rebuild bridge sections to accommodate the expansion. THEA will also lengthen entrance and exit ramp merge areas.
He said older design standards produced short merge zones that no longer match current traffic volumes.
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The rebuild includes the Hillsborough River bridge near the convention center. Slater also previewed what he called a “signature bridge” intended to frame the downtown skyline.
“I’m sick of watching Monday Night Football and seeing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge,” Slater said. “We need to show off downtown Tampa.”
Stormwater, noise walls and redesigned underpasses
Beyond added lanes, the project reshapes the corridor’s infrastructure.
Slater said THEA will upgrade stormwater management systems along the expressway. Crews will install noise walls in residential areas throughout the south segment.
The authority plans to enhance 14 underpasses with wider sidewalks, pedestrian lighting and improved design features. Slater said THEA wants to extend upgrades seen near Hyde Park into additional neighborhoods along the corridor.
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Under the Bay to Bay and MacDill underpass, THEA plans to build two new dog parks and additional recreational space after construction staging concludes. Slater said the agency will reengage residents before finalizing those amenities.
“We want to make sure that we’re going back to them in two years before we start the construction and make sure they’re still getting what they want,” he said.
Council praise, and questions about the long-term
Council members commended THEA’s outreach plan and asked to receive regular updates on neighborhood meetings.
The discussion then widened.
Council member Charlie Miranda said Tampa cannot rely on expressway expansion as a long-term answer.
“We have got to change our mode of transportation,” Miranda said.
Carlson urged THEA to preserve space for potential future rail stations as it designs public amenities beneath the expressway.
“As we discuss dog parks and pickleball courts and all that, please reserve space for train stations,” Carlson said.
A second ramp project and a “downtown brain”
Slater told council members the South Selmon rebuild is part of a broader effort to manage congestion around downtown.
He described a separate “Whiting Street project” that would remove a ramp near Amalie Arena and relocate it closer to the Embark Collective area. The redesign would reconnect the street grid to Meridian Avenue and accommodate evening destination traffic.
Slater also outlined a system he called the “downtown brain.” He said the initiative would connect sensors, cameras and signal timing systems to monitor traffic conditions and adjust flow in real time.
With construction expected to run through 2030, the South Selmon rebuild sets a clear timeline for disruption and change along one of Tampa’s primary gateways.
Drivers are looking for shorter trips into and out of downtown. Council members are asking how long added lanes can keep pace with growth.
This spring, construction begins.
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