Motorists should be on alert for the permanent closure of the southbound US 19 ramp to Bryan Dairy Road/118th Avenue North, which is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, August 25, 2021.
Southbound US 19 motorists needing access to Bryan Dairy Road/118th Avenue North will use either alternate route:
- Continuing south on US 19, exiting at 110th Avenue North and utilizing the “Texas U-Turn” to access the northbound US 19 Frontage Road towards Bryan Dairy Road/118th Avenue North.
- By exiting before the closed southbound ramp at Ulmerton Road and continuing south along the US 19 Frontage Road towards Bryan Dairy Road/118th Avenue North.
Access to side streets and driveways along the southbound US 19 Frontage Road to remain open. Motorists should anticipate delays and congestion while traveling through this area.
This new traffic pattern is to construct the flyover ramp from US 19 to I-275 as part of the Gateway Expressway project.
Information on the Gateway Expressway Project
The Gateway Expressway project will create two new 4-lane elevated tolled roadways.
The project is made up of two components:
- The construction of the Gateway Expressway, which will provide express connections from US 19 to I-275 and from the Bayside Bridge to I-275.
- The widening of I-275 to create express tolled lanes (one lane in each direction) from south of Gandy Boulevard to 4th Street North.
Overall, the Gateway Expressway project will change the existing roadway system in order to enhance safety, add capacity, and improve mobility. Among the project improvements:
- Construct SR 690, a new 4-lane tolled expressway connection from US 19 to west of I-275. The tolling will be “static,” meaning the cost will remain the same at all hours.
- Construct SR 686A, a new 4 lane elevated tolled (static) expressway from the Bayside Bridge (CR 611) to just west of I-275.
- Reconstruct existing Roosevelt Boulevard from the Bayside Bridge to Ulmerton Road.
- Reconstruct sections of existing US 19 and 118th Avenue North, including new ramps and flyover structures.
- Include various improvements to interchanges, intersections, and ramps within the project limits.
Work in front of the St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) Airport includes:
- Construction of a new airport access road parallel to SR 686.
- Construction of a new signalized intersection at Terminal Boulevard.
- Construction of a permanent roadway connection at Fairchild Drive north of the existing signal at Airport Parkway from Westbound SR 686.
Click here to view and download the latest Fact Sheet for the Gateway Expressway.
The project component along I-275 includes the design and construction of one tolled express lane in each direction (one northbound and one southbound) from south of Gandy Boulevard to north of 4th Street North. The new express lanes are in addition to existing general purpose (non-tolled) lanes. Express lanes are a congestion management tool used in urban areas across the United States including here in Florida. The goal of express lanes is to ease congestion, improve the flow of traffic and give drivers travel options. Express lanes are dynamically priced to maintain steady traffic flow in the lanes themselves. With dynamic pricing, prices increase as the express lanes become more congested and decrease as congestion goes down. For more information on how express lanes work, click here.