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DOT Reacts To Backups Caused By I-275 Barriers

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Traffic began to back up early this morning as drivers manuevered past the construction barriers.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

Updated: 02/20/2008 12:06 pm

TAMPA - Transportation officials are looking for ways to at least ease the massive backups created this week when workers barricaded part of northbound Interstate 275.

On Monday, workers finished a barrier wall between the Howard and Armenia avenues entrance ramp and the Ashley Drive-Scott Street exit to downtown.

The wall eliminated about half of the lane used to merge from Howard and Armenia and exit downtown.

Some drivers also use the roughly mile-long lane as a through lane to bypass traffic. Along that stretch, the interstate becomes four lanes instead of three, then shrinks back to three.

The barrier turned a frequently bad drive from Pinellas County to Tampa into a nightmare with a conga line of traffic sometimes backed up across the Howard Frankland Bridge.

The barrier may be there until March 2009.

"We are aware of the problem. We feel we can make it better. We don't know how much better," said John McShaffrey, Department of Transportation spokesman for interstate projects.

"We don't expect this to take weeks. We feel it should be a few days."

Much of the congestion is caused by drivers who try to use the lane to get around traffic only to find they have to merge back sooner than expected.

"People have been using that entrance and exit to flow around slower traffic. They can't do that now," McShaffrey said.

One step could involve better signs to tell drivers they have to merge. That could mean more signs or moving ones in place for better visibility or both, McShaffrey said.

The sign shuffling may be done by today.

DOT also may lengthen the barrier to make the entrance lane for Howard and Armenia the same length as those for Dale Mabry Highway or Lois Avenue. That would eliminate people trying to use the lane for through traffic.

"The engineers have to look at it," McShaffrey said.

Anything the department does, though, will not eliminate all the congestion.

The road changes are part of a major project to widen northbound I-275 from Himes Avenue to the Hillsborough River from three lanes to four.

The barricades are necessary for workers rebuilding the interstate overpass at North Boulevard. They will be in place until possibly March. It could be earlier if the contractor finishes work faster.

The DOT was surprised by the severity of the traffic jams.

"Sometimes you do things in the planning room and get in the real world and have it not work out. If we'd known, we wouldn't have designed it that way," McShaffrey said.

If you have comments or suggestions, contact DOT by e-mail at info@mytbi.com.

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