A $390 million project to build a toll road connecting Interstate-4 and the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Tampa is underway.
Gov. Charlie Crist and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos attended a groundbreaking ceremony Friday.
The I-4/ Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Connector project received $105 million in stimulus funding.
By linking two major east-west corridors, the Connector will improve mobility for workers, the trucking industry and tourists, a release said.
Dedicated truck lanes will offer direct access to the Port of Tampa and remove truck traffic from Ybor City roads.
The Connector also will create options for commuters and provide alternative hurricane evacuations routes, the release said.
Connecting the roadways will ensure an economic link that will boost jobs and business at the Port of Tampa, said Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, who also attended the groundbreaking, in a release.
Construction is expected to be complete in three years.
