Construction on the TECO Line Streetcar System's extension to Whiting Street is expected to begin as soon as Monday.
The new line is expected to be operational in late 2010.
Lane closures along Channelside Drive and Franklin Street will affect travel for about two weeks after construction begins, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority reported.
A more detailed schedule of possible lane closures and dates will be provided at www.teco linestreetcar.org/extension.
The existing 2.4-mile system links Ybor City with downtown Tampa and terminates at Dick Greco Plaza near the Tampa Convention Center.
The extension will reach Whiting Street at the south end of downtown.
Streetcar ridership during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 grew 5 percent to 462,704 passengers.
However, that increase is directly attributable to Super Bowl ridership early in the year, and 2010 ridership is projected to decline to pre-Super Bowl levels.
Ridership from the beginning of service in 2002 through 2009 has shown limited growth and is essentially flat, HART officials said.
HART is expected to review streetcar fare options that could enhance ridership when the extension is completed. One-way cash fare is $2.50; all-day ridership is $5.
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