i-75 Tampa Interstate 75 Tampa News Blog

i-75 Tampa News Blog ...

> County and state officials negotiate with developers to determine what's needed to improve nearby highways ... April 19/08
County and state officials are negotiating with developers to determine what's needed to improve Big Bend Road and other nearby highways to accommodate the planned Southshore Commons open-air mall. A report approved Monday by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council predicts the project would affect not only Big Bend and access ramps to Interstate 75, but also roads as far away as 19th Avenue in Ruskin and Gibsonton Drive, Riverview Drive and 78th Street in Riverview... cont...

> Budget Cuts Drive Rangers Off Road ... April 15/08
After helping nearly 2 million drivers since 2000, the Road Rangers assistance program is being pushed to the curb as lawmakers look to trim the state budget. For stranded motorists, that could mean longer waits for help on the interstates. For drivers stuck in backups caused by accidents, it could mean more time before the road is cleared. "It's going to be a big impact on everybody," said Larry Jones, a Road Ranger supervisor in the Tampa Bay area.... cont...

> Ex-WWE Star 'Test' Charged With DUI In Pasco County ... April 8/08
Former World Wrestling Entertainment star Andrew "Test" Martin was arrested Sunday morning in Pasco County, accused of driving under the influence.
Martin, 33, was stopped on State Road 54 near Gateway Boulevard by an off-duty police officer after she spotted a "reckless vehicle" driving north on Interstate 75, a highway patrol report states. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper responded to the scene near the Westbrook Estates subdivision just after 10:30 a.m. and noticed Martin's eyes were glassy and bloodshot and his speech was slurred, according to the report... cont...

> Truckers strike along i-75 to protest surging diesel costs ... April 7/08
Last week, diesel topped $4 a gallon at U.S. pumps and averaged a little more than $4 at Orlando-area stations, according to the travel group AAA. Diesel prices have jumped about 40 percent since last year, compared with about a 22 percent rise in gas prices. "I'm feeling it," said Steven Neely, a driver from Sarver, Pa. So much so, Neely said, that he was willing to park his truck at a Petro truck stop on Interstate 75 near Ocala on Tuesday as part of a loosely organized truckers strike to protest surging diesel costs... cont...

> FedEx plans Manatee distribution facility near i-75 ... April 3/08
An expansive Federal Express distribution center may be in north Manatee's future. "It's such good news because we are not closing any existing facility," said David Westrick, a Federal Express spokesman. Plans for a 123,367-square-foot facility are in final site plan approval stages, according to Manatee County Government Planning Department records. The center, which would serve as a distribution center for Federal Express Ground, is slated to break ground in May... cont...

> Lane closures and traffic pacing on northbound I-75 tonight ... April 3/08
Two of three lanes will be closed on northbound I-75 about 2.5 miles north of I-4 (Exit 261) between 10 p.m. Thursday (April 3) and 6 a.m. Friday (April 4). Crews will be installing a Dynamic Message Sign over the highway at this location. Also, traffic on the northbound I-75 corridor from State Road 60 (Exit 257) to 2.5 miles north of I-4 (Exit 261) will be paced for a 30 minute duration sometime between midnight and 4 a.m. Friday (April 4)... cont...

> Lane closed tonight on southbound I-75 in Hernando County ... April 3/08
One lane will be closed for bridge maintenance on southbound I-75 at mile markers 305 and 306 between 9 p.m. Thursday (April 3) and 5 a.m. Friday (April 4). Mile markers 305 and 306 are between Exit 301 (U.S. 98/State Road 50) and Exit 309 (County Road 476).... cont...

> Developers Halt Construction at Cypress Creek Mall along i-75 ... April 2/08
The developers of Cypress Creek Town Center have stopped construction of the regional mall until they can resolve permitting issues with federal regulators. The halt to construction is the latest roadblock in Jacobs Group's attempt to build a 1.3-million-square-foot regional shopping mall at Interstate 75 and State Road 56 in Pasco County... cont...