NEW TAMPA, Fla. — New Tampa Boulevard is getting a major overhaul. The City of Tampa has begun a repaving project covering about 1.8 miles of the roadway, and residents say the improvements are long overdue.
The city is investing about $1 million to repave New Tampa Boulevard from Meadow Pointe Drive to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. With nearly 12,000 drivers using the road each day, crews will work overnight to minimize traffic impacts. The project is expected to take six to eight weeks.
For years, residents have complained about deteriorating road conditions, including potholes they say have become a safety hazard for drivers and cyclists alike.
Watch report from Annette Gutierrez
Brad van Rooyen, a New Tampa resident, said he has watched the road decline for more than a decade.
"14 years this road has been falling apart," van Rooyen said. "My daughter hit a pothole. Luckily it didn't damage the tire, but it freaked her out."
Fellow resident Laurie Pacholke said the potholes create dangers beyond vehicle damage.
"If there's a pothole that we have to avoid. And you know there's a car behind us and we have to swerve out that's obviously a danger issue for everybody."
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the city prioritizes its most deteriorated roads first.
"Every road in the city is graded and we are hitting the worst first," Castor said.
City leaders say they have already paved about 30 miles of roadway this year and are hoping to complete about 80 miles by the end of the year. They add that its Fix It Fast program has helped make timely repairs to reports of potholes.
Some New Tampa residents say the neighborhood has historically felt overlooked by the city. Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera acknowledged that sentiment.
"Out here in New Tampa, I always say that New Tampa is the Alaska of Tampa."
Pacholke echoed that feeling.
"I feel like sometimes we're kind of out here on our own."
Van Rooyen said the disconnect stems in part from the neighborhood's self-sufficient nature.
"Nobody really cares about us too much, because everything we have here is behind walls and gates. There are HOAs that take care of all the infrastructure, and so we ask very little of the city, but what we do ask for is roads, mobility, public safety," van Rooyen said.
Despite the inconvenience of construction, residents say they welcome the long-term fix.
"It's definitely a nice welcome to actually see stuff being done, and not just put a band-aid on it and actually get to the root of the problem and fix it," Pacholke said.
Van Rooyen said the project feels like a milestone.
"Complete breath of fresh air. Quite honestly, I didn't think I would live in this community long enough to see this project come to reality.... Now it's a reality. It's like Christmas," van Rooyen said.
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