Roadway, pedestrian and aesthetic upgrades are under construction along the SR 585 corridor (21st and 22nd Streets) through the City of Tampa’s Ybor City District. Extending for 2.75 miles from SR 60 (Adamo Drive) to SR 600 (Hillsborough Avenue), this urban modification project is enhancing the corridor through a roadway diet and expanded multi-modal connectivity while transferring ownership from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 7 to the City of Tampa.

The project was defined by three distinct sections. The first section, from SR 60 to East 21st Avenue, served as the truck route to the Port of Tampa. The one-way pair is being reduced from 3 lanes each way down to 2 lanes with on-street parking, bicycle lanes and widened sidewalks. The second section, from East 21st Avenue to MLK Boulevard, was reconfigured into a two-lane roadway with a raised median. The last section, from MLK Boulevard to Hillsborough Avenue, was milled, resurfaced and restriped retaining its two-lane, two-way configuration with sidewalks.

Improvements were designed to provide multi-modal connectivity of sidewalks, bike lanes and bus stops. Streetscape enhancements throughout the corridor include historical five-globe lighting, granite curb, recycled brick paver crosswalks, and landscaping. The existing 100-year-old storm sewer system was retrofitted to accommodate the narrower roadway, and new LED mast-arm mounted traffic signal displays and LED pedestrian count-down displays will be installed. Coordination between FDOT, the City of Tampa, Ybor City Development Corporation, Barrio Latino Historic Commission and local stakeholders has been critical to project implementation.

To further support safety on the enhanced multi-modal facility, the City will prohibit through trucks on the roadway. Non-local truck traffic will be diverted to the new interstate connector between I-4, the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, and the Port of Tampa. Construction is anticipated to be complete by summer 2016.