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MacDill Hospital Construction To Complicate AirFest Parking

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By RICH SHOPES

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 2, 2008

Updated: 05/02/2008 12:15 am

TAMPA - Heavy traffic won't be the only difficulty confronting this weekend's AirFest. A hospital construction project at MacDill Air Force Base will make parking more challenging than in the past.

The ongoing construction has gobbled up 5,000 on-base spaces usually set aside for the two-day show. That leaves 13,000 parking spaces plus whatever spots base personnel can cobble up between today and when the gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Last year, 350,000 attended the open house at MacDill over the show's two days.

Senior Airman Nika Glover estimates fewer will attend this year, but parking still will be at a premium. "We can get pretty creative with parking."

Once the on-base parking is filled, the gates will be closed to the public. Glover figured that might happen at 1 or 2 p.m. No one will be admitted after 3 p.m. Saturday or Sunday.

Last year's air show snarled traffic on Dale Mabry Highway and MacDill Avenue, the base's two public entrances. The event is free and runs until 5 p.m. Drivers must show identification at the gate.

Further complicating traffic Saturday morning, Bayshore Boulevard will be closed from 7:15 to 10 a.m. between Swann Avenue and Bay to Bay Boulevard for an annual run. Drivers taking the Selmon Crosstown Expressway can exit at Dale Mabry.

You can let someone else do the driving by taking HART's Route 85 bus, which will carry passengers from WestShore Plaza to the base. The bus stop is at the mall's northeast corner, next to the parking garage. Riders also can catch the bus at Britton Plaza, which is at Dale Mabry and Euclid Avenue.

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