Pinellas’ Gateway Expressway to open Friday
The long-awaited Gateway Expressway project in Pinellas County is set to open Friday, bringing congestion relief and new travel route options to thousands of Tampa Bay area drivers.
The $600 million project, which has been under construction for more than six years, includes two new elevated, four-lane toll roads that will provide direct connections between US 19 and Interstate 275, and the Bayside Bridge (north of 49th Street N.) and I-275. Express lanes have also been built on I-275 as part of the project.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced that state roads 690 and 686A and new I-275 express lanes will open to the public Friday afternoon. FDOT expects the opening of the Gateway Expressway to significantly reduce congestion and improve access to and from I-275.
Future connection from eastbound SR 690 to northbound I-275 express lanes.
The roads will be toll-free for the first seven days after opening. After that, tolls will be collected via SunPass 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from all vehicles on SR 690, SR 686A and the I-275 express lanes. According to the FDOT website, toll rates are based on the number of axles on the vehicle. For the average two-axle vehicle, it will cost 86 cents on SR 690, 28 cents on SR 686A and 50 cents on each of the I-275 express lanes.
All vehicles are allowed on the Gateway Expressway (SR 690 and SR 686A), but only passenger vehicles, registered vanpools and busses are allowed in the I-275 express lanes.
As part of the project, FDOT has also made improvements to the area surrounding the St. Pete-Clearwater Airport. Roosevelt Boulevard from the Bayside Bridge to Ulmerton Road has been rebuilt as two one-way roads, and a new airport access road running parallel to Roosevelt Boulevard has been constructed.
The Gateway Expressway project is part of a state plan to add highway capacity as Tampa Bay’s population grows.
The FDOT website features project details, photos and an animated tour of the new routes. Click here.
