TAMPA, Fla. — Downtown Tampa drivers were left frustrated and confused Saturday as major lane closures along Interstate 275 and I-4 collided with multiple festivals, including Mimosa Fest, clogging roadways and forcing motorists to scramble for alternate routes.
Many festivalgoers said they had no idea why traffic was at a standstill until they arrived downtown or pulled out their phones to check.
“Yeah, man, wanted to come down. Saw the traffic, immediately pulled off the interstate,” said Jalon Johnson, who had planned to head to Ybor City for lunch but wound up at Mimosa Fest instead.
“I had no idea what was happening. Immediately Googled after I saw the traffic, and then I saw, like, the event was happening down here, so we just came to it. But nah, man, don’t... I don’t know any other routes outside of don’t take the interstate because it’s really bad.”
Johnson said he paid $15 to park but left unhappy, never getting to enjoy the festival because traffic delays spoiled the experience.
“I’m done. I’m going to get some lunch, I’m going to get an adult beverage, and I’m done. That is it,” he said.
Other attendees echoed the frustration.
“I did not take those roads, because the traffic was backed up. I decided to take the back way,” said Daequarious Williams.
He didn’t know specifically why traffic was snarled until Tampa Bay 28 reporter Jada Williams told him that crews had blocked off lanes for bridge construction.
“Oh, wow. So it sucks right now to hopefully make it okay. That is understandable then. That sounds good. That’s a reasonable reason,” he said.
The Florida Department of Transportation states that the disruption is part of a major, multi-year project to ease one of Tampa’s worst chokepoints. It is a part of the Downtown Tampa Interchange (I-275/I-4) Safety and Operational Improvements project.
“What we have going on behind us right now, we have the new southbound 275 to I-4 East being constructed,” said Andrew Williams, senior construction project manager for FDOT. “This is a steel box girder bridge… two lanes coming from southbound 275, landing on the inside of I-4 East.”
To make that happen, FDOT closed parts of northbound 275, the I-4 interchange, and limited access to downtown from southbound 275, diverting traffic to detours on local streets. Crews are using massive cranes to install girders, the superstructure that will hold up the new bridge deck.
“It’s not safe to have these girders being erected with live traffic underneath,” Williams said.
He added that closures are expected to last through early Monday morning, with all lanes reopening by 5 a.m.
FDOT officials acknowledged the timing clashed with downtown events but said it was deliberate.
“This is one of the very few weekends that we don’t have a Bucs game, we don’t have a Lightning game. There’s no major, major event going on in the area,” Williams said.
Despite his frustration, Johnson said learning about the long-term goal gave him hope.
“That changes everything! That’s beautiful. I didn’t know that. That’s actually news. I had no idea. That’s beautiful,” he said, noting he plans to check back in 2027 when the bridge is finished.
Daequarious Williams agreed.
“It makes me definitely feel better, like I don’t mind taking the roads if y’all making more exits that’ll help us in the long run,” he said.
For now, drivers are advised to use detours, rely on navigation apps such as Google Maps or Waze, and plan ahead to avoid congestion. The FDOT expects the new bridge to open to traffic by mid-2026, with the full project completion scheduled for 2027.
Here's a breakdown of the closures and the posted detours.
Click here to view Detour Map.
Saturday, Oct. 4
- Northbound Interstate 275 motorists are being directed onto eastbound Interstate 4 (Exit 45B), exiting the interstate using Exit 3, turning right onto Columbus Drive, left onto U.S. Highway 41, left onto Hillsborough Avenue, and continuing west to re-enter northbound I-275.
- Westbound I-4 needing to access southbound I-275 or downtown Tampa are proceeding onto northbound I-275, exiting the interstate at Exit 46B, turning left onto SR 574 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard), left onto Tampa Street, and continuing south on Tampa Street to access the southbound I-275 entrance ramp or other Downtown Tampa streets.
Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5 (only one lane remains open on southbound I-275 from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard through downtown Tampa)
- Southbound I-275 motorists needing to travel through the interchange are continuing south on the interstate, proceeding onto Exit 45A to re-enter southbound I-275.
- Southbound I-275 motorists needing access Downtown East-West (Exit 45A) are exiting the intestate using Exit 46A, turning right onto Floribraska Avenue, left onto Tampa Street, and continuing south to reach downtown streets.
- The southbound I-275 ramp to eastbound I-4 remains open to motorists all weekend.
For more information on this project or to sign up for traffic alerts, click here.
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