I-4 in Hillsborough soon to be construction-free

Work related to the demolition at two truck weigh stations on Interstate 4 is wrapping up, marking a milestone for motorists who drive the busy highway.

For just the second time since the mid-1990s, there won't be any major work going on along I-4 in Hillsborough. And no big projects are in the immediate future.

"I-4 will be done" in the county, said John McShaffrey, spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation.

The string of projects started when bulldozers began clearing trees near McIntosh Road in September 1995 so the interstate could be widened from four to six lanes. Other projects that have kept crews busy for most of the last 14 years have included resurfacing the highway, sign installation and the replacement of the weigh stations.

Motorists driving the 25 miles of I-4 in Hillsborough last got a break from major roadwork from April 2002 through January 2004, when there was only routine maintenance, McShaffrey said.

By the end of August, crews will finish work related to the demolition of the weigh stations west of Thonotosassa Road. Barrier walls were removed in recent days, and remaining work includes repaving and restriping lanes.

Once that work is done, motorists won't be dodging construction zones in the foreseeable future.

Crews had planned to wrap up the work in July but some delays pushed the date back to the end of August. The project is still well ahead of the original January targeted completion date.

Weigh stations first opened in the Plant City area in the 1960s, but they had static scales, and truckers had to stop while their rigs were weighed before they merged back into traffic.

The state decided to replace them with modern scales that weigh trucks while they are in motion. At the new stations that opened this year between Mango and McIntosh roads, trucks travel through at about 45 mph and keep going unless they are flagged for being overweight or officials want to inspect them.

The state is spending $36 million to build the new stations and demolish the old ones.

One or two lanes may be closed at night over the next week or two as the restoration work is concluded around the old stations.