Southbound I-275 Exit 40B to Lois Ave. is closed permanently; Detour route established

TAMPA - The southbound I-275 exit ramp to Lois Avenue/Exit 40B has been closed, as part of the Florida Department of Transportation's ongoing I-275 reconstruction project. During construction, traffic will be detoured to the next exit, Westshore Blvd/Exit 40A, then north to Cypress Street, and east to Lois Avenue.

The future interchange configuration will have southbound I-275 traffic exit to westbound Cypress Street, just east of Lois Avenue.

The Florida Department of Transportation is widening I-275 from east of SR-60/Memorial/Kennedy to the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. The project will reconstruct all of the southbound interstate in that area, as well as northbound I-275 from east of State Road 60 to Himes Avenue. Northbound I-275 was rebuilt from Himes Avenue to downtown in a project that was completed in April 2010.

When completed, there will be four through-lanes in each direction, a flatter roadway (will not have the steep humps at bridges over crossroads) to improve sight distance and decrease the chances of accidents, improved interchanges to help move traffic on and off I-275, and a wide median to decrease cost and public impact when future improvements are built.