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Rain Delays TIA Exit Switch On Memorial Highway

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Published: October 7, 2008

Updated: 10/07/2008 09:24 am

TAMPA - Transportation engineers will try again Wednesday after plans to relocate the Tampa International Airport exit on eastbound Memorial Highway were rained out.

The Department of Transportation has been warning motorists the exit would be moved this morning from the left side of the multilane highway, just south of the Courtney Campbell Parkway, to the right side.

Officials posted signs and made announcements hoping to avert a massive traffic jam similar to the one three weeks ago, when the exit shifted from the right side to the left because of construction.

The warnings didn't take into account the area's recent stormy weather. With the road surface wet from rain, workers couldn't finish painting stripes. By 1 a.m. today , officials decided the exit move would have to wait until Wednesday.

Again, that means that starting Wednesday morning motorists heading to the airport from the Veterans Expressway (State Road 589) southbound and Memorial Highway (State Road 60) eastbound will need to move to the far right lane to exit.

The Spruce Street exit, which was paired with the airport exit, will remain on the left side until mid-December.

Motorists who end up taking the old left-side exit to Spruce can still get to the airport by exiting at O'Brien Street, turning around and taking westbound Spruce to the airport entrance.

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633.

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