Tampa's $653M Westshore Interchange Rebuild: What Drivers Can Expect

By Florida Home Vibes

Crews are mid-build on the first phase of the Westshore Interchange rebuild, where I-275, Veterans Expressway and SR 60 all converge.

If your commute runs anywhere near Tampa International Airport, you've probably already noticed the cones. FDOT broke ground in January 2026 on its largest active infrastructure project in Tampa Bay: a $653.3 million rebuild of the Westshore Interchange, the tangled junction where I-275, the Veterans Expressway and State Road 60 all come together. The contractor, Superior-Lane Joint Venture, is now well into the first construction phase, with crews working frontage roads, ramps and drainage on both sides of I-275 at once.

Why This Interchange Backs Up Every Day

The Westshore Interchange isn't congested by accident — it's the one spot where three separate streams of regional traffic physically collide. FDOT project spokesperson Zachary Stringer has described it as three directions of pressure meeting at once: Veterans Expressway traffic coming down from Pasco and Hernando counties, Howard Frankland Bridge traffic arriving from Pinellas, and cross-town Hillsborough traffic all trying to merge, weave and exit within the same half-mile stretch. Add in drivers cutting across to reach Tampa International Airport, and you get the daily backups anyone who's driven this stretch already knows by heart.

What's Actually Being Built in Phase 1

This first phase, labeled Priority 1A, covers I-275 from the Howard Frankland Bridge to east of Lois Avenue, and SR 60 from I-275 to north of Spruce Street. Inside those limits, FDOT's scope includes:

• New northbound I-275 express lanes running from the Howard Frankland Bridge to a future bridge at Reo Street
• A flyover ramp replacing the current eastbound SR 60-to-northbound I-275 loop ramp
• A second new flyover connecting the Howard Frankland Bridge directly to SR 60 and the airport
• A new southbound I-275 entrance ramp at Reo Street
• Reconnected local streets at Reo, Occident and Trask, plus upgraded pedestrian and bike connections

None of this touches the full express-lane build-out in every direction yet — that's reserved for future phases FDOT has scheduled for funding in 2030 and 2032. Phase 1A is specifically about untangling the worst of the weaving and giving drivers an earlier, cleaner decision point about which direction they actually need.

What Drivers Will Notice Right Now

The most visible current impact is on the frontage roads, not the interstate itself. The East Frontage Road is closed between Cypress and Lemon streets, though business access there is being maintained, and FDOT's current closure listing shows that closure continuing through January 2027. Crews are actively working drainage along the interchange's south side and building out Lemon Street and Reo Street, with additional work continuing along SR 60 toward the airport. Because the work is staged across a multi-year project, anyone who uses the frontage roads to reach the hotels, office parks, dealerships and restaurants clustered around Westshore Boulevard should expect detours, lane shifts and traffic patterns to keep changing.

The Price Tag, and What Comes After 2030

The $653.3 million figure covers Priority 1A alone — the phase currently under construction. FDOT's broader plan for the full interchange, including express lanes in every direction rather than just northbound, has been estimated at roughly $1 billion in total once later phases are built, though that full build-out depends on the 2030 and 2032 funding cycles FDOT has penciled in and isn't locked in the way the current $653.3 million phase is. In other words: what's under construction today is real, funded and moving. What comes after Phase 1A wraps in 2030 is still a plan on FDOT's long-range schedule, not a guaranteed next step.

What Happens Next

For now, expect construction-related detours, lane shifts and changing traffic patterns around Westshore and the airport throughout this multi-year project, with the pace of visible change picking up as the Reo Street bridge and the two new flyovers start taking shape above the existing roadway. We'll check back in as each major piece — the flyovers, the express lane opening, the local street reconnections — actually gets built, rather than just repeating FDOT's renderings.

Related Reading

Another Tampa Bay-area road project we've covered: the Sunlake Boulevard extension's push for state funding in Pasco County.

Sources & Further Reading

• FDOT Tampa Bay — Westshore Interchange (I-275/SR 60) Safety and Operational Improvements, Project 447107
• FOX 13 Tampa Bay — Construction begins on Tampa's estimated $1B Westshore Interchange project
• WFLA — Construction begins on Tampa's Westshore Interchange
• Jimerson Firm — Westshore Interchange eminent domain: a property owner's guide