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Signs Complicate Persistent I-275 Traffic Snarls

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 23, 2008

Despite the lack of commuter traffic this morning, the northbound trip on Interstate 275 through Tampa crept along at less than 20 mph, with frequent stops among the three lanes of traffic caused in part by misleading information on highway construction message signs.

The signs, placed along the three northbound lanes of I-275 approaching the Armenia Avenue interchange, warned motorists that the right lane was closed ahead. That caused motorists to try to merge from three lanes into two.

By late afternoon, the signs had been removed and traffic appeared to be moving more smoothly

"Drivers should stay in the same lane (of one of the three through lanes) through the construction zone; doing so should also help improve traffic flow on the northbound I-275 corridor," the Florida Department of Highways said in a release Friday.

In a move to expedite traffic, FDOT closed off the fourth lane from east of the Howard Avenue entrance ramp to west of the Ashley Drive/Scott Street exit with the expectations that would eliminate motorists from merging from four lanes into three.

The FDOT spokesman could not be reached for comment regarding the signage today.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 and tjackovics@tampatrib.com

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