Interstate 4 – Selmon Expressway Connector
| I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by FDOT | |
| Length: | 2.0 mi (3.2 km) longest movement (I-4 east to Port of Tampa) |
| Existed: | 6 January 2014 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: |
 SR 618 in Tampa
|
| North end: |
 I-4 in Tampa |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Hillsborough |
| Highway system | |
The I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector (also known as the Crosstown Connector) is a toll road that carries traffic between Interstate 4, the Selmon Expressway (SR 618), and the Port of Tampa east of Ybor City in the city of Tampa, Florida. It primarily comprises four parallel one-way roadways west of 31st Street, continuously elevated over local streets, railroads, and vacant land, with a SunPass/toll-by-plate electronic toll gantry spanning the entire structure near the southern end. All movements were opened to traffic on January 6, 2014, but the direct connections to the Port of Tampa are open only to trucks.
The connector project is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and was constructed by FDOT in coordination with Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) and the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA). Construction began in March 2010 and was completed in January 2014. The project was one of the largest single recipients of the 2009 Federal Stimulus funding grants. The highway currently has no signed or unsigned state road number.
To minimize dangerous weaving patterns and major bottlenecks, traffic utilizing the I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector between I-4 and eastbound Selmon Expressway to/from Brandon is physically separated from traffic utilizing the connector to get to/from Downtown Tampa via I-4 westbound. The entire tollway is elevated.
Traffic travelling along eastbound I-4 from I-275 is able to transition onto the eastbound Selmon going to Brandon with access to 50th St being maintained. Eastbound Selmon commuters coming from South Tampa can connect to eastbound I-4 to travel to I-75 North, as well as Lakeland, Orlando, and other points northeastward. For westbound traffic, access to the westbound Selmon, as well as access to 22nd/21st Streets, are provided. Commuters wishing to travel to I-275, Temple Terrace, and Tampa International Airport can access westbound I-4 via the westbound Selmon. Commuters wishing to avoid the gridlock at the I-4 / I-275 interchange, colloquially named "Malfunction Junction," can use the Connector as an alternate route towards St. Petersburg.
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Wikipedia