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Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
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Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
State Road 618 (SR 618), also known as the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, and formerly known as the Crosstown Expressway, is a 14.168-mile (22.801 km) controlled-access toll road in Hillsborough County, Florida. It connects the South Tampa neighborhood near MacDill Air Force Base with Downtown Tampa and the bedroom community of Brandon. The expressway was built in stages, opening between 1976 and 1987. An approximately 1.9-mile extension to the thoroughfare's western terminus opened to traffic on Monday, April 19, 2021.
The expressway was supposed to be part of a multi-expressway system that failed in the 1970s due to heavy local opposition and financial burdens. The original designation for the expressway was State Road 449, but it was switched to State Road 618, which remained a hidden designation until the early 2000s when it began appearing on maps and in atlases.
The expressway features an elevated bridge, the world's first reversible, all-electronic, elevated express lane project, opened in 2006, called the Reversible Express Lanes and with the hidden designation of State Road 618A. The entire expressway ended cash collection on September 17, 2010, going to the state's All-Electronic Tolling system for both the REL and the main expressway.
The expressway, originally known as the Southern Crosstown Expressway, was renamed Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in 1999 in honor of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers hall-of-fame football player Lee Roy Selmon. The "Crosstown" portion of the name was dropped in 2008. By 2020, the Crosstown signs were removed, and navigation systems were updated to "Selmon Expressway" or "SR 618".
The expressway begins at the western edge of U.S. Route 92 (Gandy Boulevard) in Hillsborough County. The Selmon Extension, which opened in 2021, serves as a "queue" jump for lights on Gandy Boulevard. It makes its way northeast next to a lightly used CSX rail corridor for the first four miles before heading east towards downtown Tampa. From Florida Ave, the highway winds through the Channelside District and the southern fringe of Ybor City before continuing due eastward towards 78th St. There is a connection to I-4 just east of 22nd St that allows commuters to easily move between various points throughout Hillsborough County and beyond. Just west of 78th St, the expressway crosses over Palm River (the southernmost portion of the Tampa Bypass Canal) and makes a southeastward curve towards US 301. From there, the highway crosses over US 301 and Falkenburg Road before ending at a trumpet interchange with I-75 in Brandon.
The Reversible Express Lanes (REL), also known as State Road 618A, begin at Meridian Avenue in downtown Tampa, following the main expressway's path in the center median for most of its journey. Almost the entire route is elevated, with the exception of at-grade segments between 26th Street and 39th Street, as well as between 78th Street and I-75. An at-grade provision was made between 26th Street and 39th Street to accommodate the Interstate 4/Selmon Expressway Connector. This at-grade portion is equipped with an eastbound (only) slip-ramp to allow commuters from South Tampa to utilize the REL. A toll gantry is located just east of 78th Street and is the only toll gantry along the entire REL. Between 78th Street and US 301, slip-ramps exist for both directions (exiting and entering the REL). The REL crosses over I-75 and ends at Town Center Boulevard in Brandon (near Westfield Brandon). From there, the highway disperses onto the Brandon Parkway, which connects to Providence Road and other redesigned thoroughfares to allow seamless connection to points within Brandon and surrounding areas.
On weekdays, the REL operates the express lanes westbound from 6:00-10:00 am. From 10:00 am–1:00 pm, the road is in a split operation in which the express lanes western segment between 78th Street and Downtown Tampa carries westbound traffic, and the express lanes eastern segment from US 301 to Brandon Parkway carries eastbound traffic. Then, from 3:00 pm through 6:00 am the next morning, the REL operates the express lanes eastbound only.
On weekends and holidays, the REL stays operating in the eastbound direction from 3:00 pm Friday afternoon through 6:00 am Monday morning.
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Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
State Road 618 (SR 618), also known as the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, and formerly known as the Crosstown Expressway, is a 14.168-mile (22.801 km) controlled-access toll road in Hillsborough County, Florida. It connects the South Tampa neighborhood near MacDill Air Force Base with Downtown Tampa and the bedroom community of Brandon. The expressway was built in stages, opening between 1976 and 1987. An approximately 1.9-mile extension to the thoroughfare's western terminus opened to traffic on Monday, April 19, 2021.
The expressway was supposed to be part of a multi-expressway system that failed in the 1970s due to heavy local opposition and financial burdens. The original designation for the expressway was State Road 449, but it was switched to State Road 618, which remained a hidden designation until the early 2000s when it began appearing on maps and in atlases.
The expressway features an elevated bridge, the world's first reversible, all-electronic, elevated express lane project, opened in 2006, called the Reversible Express Lanes and with the hidden designation of State Road 618A. The entire expressway ended cash collection on September 17, 2010, going to the state's All-Electronic Tolling system for both the REL and the main expressway.
The expressway, originally known as the Southern Crosstown Expressway, was renamed Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in 1999 in honor of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers hall-of-fame football player Lee Roy Selmon. The "Crosstown" portion of the name was dropped in 2008. By 2020, the Crosstown signs were removed, and navigation systems were updated to "Selmon Expressway" or "SR 618".
The expressway begins at the western edge of U.S. Route 92 (Gandy Boulevard) in Hillsborough County. The Selmon Extension, which opened in 2021, serves as a "queue" jump for lights on Gandy Boulevard. It makes its way northeast next to a lightly used CSX rail corridor for the first four miles before heading east towards downtown Tampa. From Florida Ave, the highway winds through the Channelside District and the southern fringe of Ybor City before continuing due eastward towards 78th St. There is a connection to I-4 just east of 22nd St that allows commuters to easily move between various points throughout Hillsborough County and beyond. Just west of 78th St, the expressway crosses over Palm River (the southernmost portion of the Tampa Bypass Canal) and makes a southeastward curve towards US 301. From there, the highway crosses over US 301 and Falkenburg Road before ending at a trumpet interchange with I-75 in Brandon.
The Reversible Express Lanes (REL), also known as State Road 618A, begin at Meridian Avenue in downtown Tampa, following the main expressway's path in the center median for most of its journey. Almost the entire route is elevated, with the exception of at-grade segments between 26th Street and 39th Street, as well as between 78th Street and I-75. An at-grade provision was made between 26th Street and 39th Street to accommodate the Interstate 4/Selmon Expressway Connector. This at-grade portion is equipped with an eastbound (only) slip-ramp to allow commuters from South Tampa to utilize the REL. A toll gantry is located just east of 78th Street and is the only toll gantry along the entire REL. Between 78th Street and US 301, slip-ramps exist for both directions (exiting and entering the REL). The REL crosses over I-75 and ends at Town Center Boulevard in Brandon (near Westfield Brandon). From there, the highway disperses onto the Brandon Parkway, which connects to Providence Road and other redesigned thoroughfares to allow seamless connection to points within Brandon and surrounding areas.
On weekdays, the REL operates the express lanes westbound from 6:00-10:00 am. From 10:00 am–1:00 pm, the road is in a split operation in which the express lanes western segment between 78th Street and Downtown Tampa carries westbound traffic, and the express lanes eastern segment from US 301 to Brandon Parkway carries eastbound traffic. Then, from 3:00 pm through 6:00 am the next morning, the REL operates the express lanes eastbound only.
On weekends and holidays, the REL stays operating in the eastbound direction from 3:00 pm Friday afternoon through 6:00 am Monday morning.
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