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Branche Forbes Road interchanges with Interstate 4 at the Exit 17 diamond interchange. The road travels north 1.5 miles to Hillsborough County 580 (Sam Allen Road / Thonotosassa Road). Thonotosassa Road resumes in name from Branche Forbes Road west to Antioch and Thonotosassa itself. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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Branche Forbes Road continues south from Exit 17 four miles to Trapnell Road. Connections with Florida 574 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) west lead to the community of Dover. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Interstate 4 draws to within eight miles of junction Interstate 75 after Exit 17. This is the last in the series of Interstate 75 and 275 mileage signs on the freeway. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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One mile east of the Exit 14 diamond interchange with McIntosh Road on Interstate 4 west. McIntosh Road heads north two miles to Antioch (junction Hillsborough County 580) and six miles to its end at U.S. 301 (Fort King Highway). Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Westbound Interstate 4 at the Exit 14 off-ramp to McIntosh Road. McIntosh Road travels south 2.25 miles to Florida 574 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) within the vicinity of Seffner. U.S. 92 parallels just one half mile to the south. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Exit 10 constitutes a diamond interchange with Hillsborough County 579 (Mango Road) on Interstate 4. Mango Road carries the county highway northward 3.5 miles to Thonotosassa and 4.25 miles to U.S. 301 near Hillsborough River State Park. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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Two miles out from the Interstate 4 and 75 directional interchange (Exit 9) near Mango. Interstate 75 bypasses the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg but acts as a conduit for suburban commuting traffic in conjunction with Interstate 4 for such places as New Tampa, Temple terrace, Brandon, Riverview, and Sun City Center. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Hillsborough County 579 (Mango Road) meets U.S. 92 (Hillsborough Avenue) just south of Exit 10 and ends at Florida 574 at Mango. Tampa's eastern suburbs grow in density as one travels west from the Mango and Seffner areas toward the city. None of the area communities are incorporated either. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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Passing under the Mango Road overpass, one mile away from the Exit 9 "Catherine Wheel" interchange with Interstate 75. Interstate 75 comprises the longest Interstate highway in Florida, tallying 470.88 miles from Hialeah to the Georgia state line. Serving the west coast, the freeway serves Naples, Fort Myers, Venice, Sarasota, Bradenton, Ocala, and Gainesville on the northward drive to Valdosta, Macon, and Atlanta, Georgia. Photo taken 05/08/06. |
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Exit 9 carries both movements to Interstate 75 from Interstate 4 west in unison. Directional ramps facilitate all movements in the unstacked interchange. Interstate 75 north serves Temple Terrace and New Tampa before entering Pasco County; southbound travelers reach Riverview and Ruskin before entering Manatee County in the Bradenton vicinity. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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A small mileage sign references the western terminus at Tampa and the formerly incorporated city of Ybor City. Ybor City now exists as a subsection of the city of Tampa. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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Attached to the Williams Road over crossing is the Exit 9 overhead directly Interstate 75 travelers away from Interstate 4. Interstate 75 ventures 88 miles north to Ocala, 122 miles to Gainesville, and 450 miles to Atlanta. Interstate 75 southbound drivers head 125 miles to the Fort Myers area, 155 miles to Naples, and 277 miles to Miami via Interstates 595 and 95. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Interstate 4 travels below the various ramps and Interstate 75 mainline at Exit 9. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Leaving Interstate 75 on Interstate 4 west, the freeway next approaches the brief merge with U.S. 92 (Hillsborough Avenue) and junction U.S. 301 (Exit 7). U.S. 92 merges onto the Exit 7 c/d roadways between the Tampa Bypass Canal and Orient Road. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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Two lanes serve the Exit 7 c/d roadway for U.S. 301 north to Temple Terrace, south to South Tampa, and U.S. 92 west to Harney and Busch Gardens. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Westbound at the Exit 7 c/d roadway split to U.S. 92 (Hillsborough Avenue) west and U.S. 301. U.S. 301 parallels Interstate 75 through Temple Terrace, South Tampa, Riverview, and Sun City Center in eastern Hillsborough County. The highway ends at Sarasota to the south and Glasgow, Delaware to the north. Photo taken 05/08/06. |
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Nearly a full-cloverleaf interchange joins Interstate 4 & U.S. 92 with U.S. 301 at Exit 7. U.S. 92 westbound merges onto the Exit 7 c/d roadway via a partial "Y" interchange to the east. The highway departs the freeway frontage via another partial "Y" interchange to the west. Interests to the Florida State Fairgrounds and the Ford Amphitheater should use U.S. 301 south to the nearby venue. Vandenburg Airport (VDF) lies just north of Interstate 4 along U.S. 301. Zephyrhills, a destination better reached via Mango Road north to U.S. 301, is referenced from Exit 7 as well. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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U.S. 92 departs the Interstate 4 c/d roadway system for the continuation of Hillsborough Avenue west. Hillsborough Avenue comprises a four to six lane arterial through the city of Tampa. Busch Gardens is a short drive north of U.S. 92 via 40th Street at U.S. 41. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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A much older sign for U.S. 92 & 301 posted along Interstate 4 westbound. U.S. 92 meets Interstate 275 at Exit 47 and again at Exit 41. The federal highway draws to a close north of downtown St. Petersburg. Photo taken 12/00. |
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Interstate 4 westbound veers southwest from Hillsborough Avenue and Columbus Drive through the Tampa street grid. Florida 574 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard), referenced earlier in this guide, finally meets the freeway directly at Exit 5. The state road travels westward to the Grant Park and College Hill neighborhoods of Tampa before ending at U.S. 92 (Dale Mabry Highway) near Raymond James Stadium. Photo taken 05/08/06. |
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Westbound at the Exit 5 diamond interchange with Florida 574 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/formerly Buffalo Avenue). Florida 574 intersects Florida 583 (50th Street / Lake Avenue) within one mile. The Orient Park neighborhood resides east of Interstate 4 via Florida 574. Photo taken 05/08/06. |
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U.S. 41, the predecessor to Interstate 75 through west Florida, interchanges with Interstate 4 at Exit 3 near Grant Park. Following 40th Street through northern Tampa, U.S. 41 turns eastward onto Melbourne Boulevard to join 50th Street at Interstate 4 and Florida 583. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Approaching the Exit 3 modified diamond interchange with U.S. 41 (50th Street). Construction of Interstate 4 interrupted Columbus Boulevard from its east-west alignment at Exit 3. The surface arterial now intertwines with Exit 3 at U.S. 41 (50th Street), bypassing the interchange itself to the south. Columbus Drive parallels Interstate 4 westward to north Ybor City and Tampa Heights otherwise and becomes part of Hillsborough County 574, not to be confused with the nearby Florida 574, to the east. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Drivers bound for U.S. 41 (50th Street), Florida 583 (50th Street north of Melbourne Boulevard), and Columbus Boulevard depart Interstate 4 west at Exit 3. U.S. 41 follows 40th Street north to its merge with U.S. 92 (Hillsborough Avenue) at the Northeast neighborhood. U.S. 41 south continues to Palm River and junction U.S. 41 Business east of the Port of Tampa. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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The next two photos show historical looks at Interstate 4 westbound approaching the former Exit 2 diamond interchange with Florida 569 (40th Street). Widening and reconstruction of the freeway between Exit 5 and the western terminus resulted in the removal of the Exit 2 ramps to accommodate an expanded right-of-way. Pictured here is the one-mile guide sign for Florida 569, a short state highway joining Florida 60 (Adamo Drive) & 618 Toll (Crosstown Expressway) with U.S. 41 (Melbourne Boulevard). Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Original westbound at the Exit 2 off-ramp to Florida 569 (40th Street). Florida 569 meets Columbus Drive just north of Interstate 4 and Hillsborough County 574 (7th Avenue) to the south. Use Exit 3 to Columbus Drive west to access the state highway via Exit 3. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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Amid a smoky evening caused by the May 2007 Bugaboo Fires, Interstate 4 enters its newest stretch of freeway, the six-lane section from former Exit 2 to junction Interstate 275. Pictured here is the older 0.75-mile guide sign for Florida 585 (21st & 22nd Streets). The sign once sat to the right of the original westbound two-lane carriageway (see next photo). Interstate 4 now travels sleek three-lane elevated carriageways in both directions. Photo taken 05/11/07. |
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A previous look at the Exit 1 0.75-mile guide sign. Florida 585 travels a one-way street couplet (21st Street south/22nd Street north) through the Ybor City section of east Tampa. YBor city represents a historical district that was dubbed "Cigar Capital of the World.". Today the area remains a tourist attraction rich in Latin culture, eateries, and nightlife. YBor's commercial strip follows 7th Avenue (Hillsborough County 574) roughly between Nebraska Avenue and 31st Street. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Built in conjunction with the Interstate 4 widening, ramp stubs exist in both directions for the planned Crosstown Expressway Connector. Departing from the left eventually, the high-speed flyover will tie into a north-south viaduct linking Interstate 4 with the Florida 618 Toll (Crosstown Expressway) that includes truck-only ramps to the Port of Tampa. Following the CSX Railroad line parallel to 31st Street, the Connector will employ tri-level stack interchanges with both east-west freeways. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Pre-construction look at the split-diamond interchange with Florida 585 (Exit 1) on Interstate 4 west. Florida 585 (22nd Street) travels north from Florida 60 (Adamo Drive) at Exit 9 of the Crosstown Expressway northward to junction U.S. 41 & 92 (Hillsborough Avenue) at the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa. Southbound follows 21st Street from 23rd Avenue to Adamo Drive. Photo taken 05/11/07 |
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Widening of Interstate 4 overtook a number of buildings and frontage street roadways from U.S. 41 (50th Street) west to junction Interstate 275. New lanes of Interstate 4 now travel over the location of the original Exit 1 on and off-ramps; a grassy median represents the original four-lane freeway otherwise. Exit 1 leaves the westbound viaduct in this photograph for the intersections with 22nd and 21st Streets. Columbus Drive parallels Interstate 4 nearby. Downtown YBor city lies six blocks southward. Photo taken 05/11/07 |
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Looking at an older Interstate 275 - one mile guide sign on Interstate 4 west during road work. Interstate 4's western terminus was the site of construction for over four years. At stake was the upgrading of a standard tri-level stack interchange and expansion of both freeway mainlines. Explosive growth of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area strained the original interchange and therefore FDOT redesigned the stack, rebuilt several ramps, and segregated downtown movements from through-traffic movements. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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New Interstate 275 overhead installed during Spring 2007. Interstate 275 represents the primary corridor of north-south movements between Tampa and St. Petersburg. Traveling the original Interstate 75 routing, Interstate 275 loops west from Interstate 75 at the Pasco County line through north Tampa, meeting Interstate 4 at Tampa Heights. From Interstate 4 westward, Interstate 275 skirts northern reaches of downtown to the Howard Franklin Bridge over Old Tampa Bay. Photo taken 05/11/07. |
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A view of Interstate 4 early during construction. Note the demolition of buildings along the adjacent frontage street. Rather then building inward to accommodate additional lanes, FDOT acquired adjacent frontage to expanded the freeway outward, thus creating a much wider median to allow for future expansion or perhaps light rail. This series of guide signs directed drivers onto Interstate 275 north to Interstate 75 for Ocala and Interstate 275 south to the downtown exits (Ashley Drive and Jefferson Street). Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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New End Interstate 4 overhead, posted three-quarters of a mile out from the Interstate 4 ramp split to Interstate 275. Photo taken 05/11/07. |
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Passing over 15th Street and Avenida Republica De Cuba, Interstate 4's lanes begin to segregate into Interstate 275 ramps. The westbound mainline defaults onto Interstate 275 south for downtown Tampa, Tampa International Airport (TIA), and St. Petersburg. Interstate 275 northbound traffic uses the right-hand lane for Seminole Heights, Sulphur Springs, Forest Hills, and Pasco County. Photo taken 05/11/07. |
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Replaced overheads on Interstate 4 westbound approaching Interstate 275. Exit 26 (Downtown East) departs just beyond the gore point for Interstate 275 northbound. Photo taken 12/00. |
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Interstate 4 west at the new Interstate 275 northbound ramp departure. Interstate 275 merges with Interstate 75 in 15 miles. Interstate 75 continues from there 76 miles to Ocala and 110 miles to Gainesville. Photo taken 01/01/06. |
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Historical look at the Interstate 275 and Downtown East overheads at the Interstate 4 terminus. Photo taken 12/00. |
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Replacements for the overheads pictured above and the original ramp configuration of Interstate 4's partition into Interstate 275 north and southbound. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Exit 45A (Interstate 275's numbering convention) departs the southbound ramp onto a c/d roadway for Jefferson Street. Jefferson Street leads south from Interstate 275 into the central business district. Downtown is home to the Tampa Convention Center and Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center among other attractions. Photo taken 05/11/07. |
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A high flyover carries travelers from Interstate 275 south onto Interstate 4 eastbound. Interstate 275 squeezes through with four overall lanes on its curve between Tampa Heights and downtown. Photo taken 05/27/05. |
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Originally motorists destined for downtown Tampa were required to merge onto the Interstate 275 southbound mainline before departing via Exit 46B. That weave was eliminated with the direct ramp onto the Exit 46B c/d roadway. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
Page Updated June 24, 2007.
