Tampa's 40th Street Vision Comes To Fruition

It took nearly 40 years, but 40th Street is becoming what community members always knew it could be.

The section of the 40th Street corridor that runs north of Yukon Street to sourth of Hanlon Street now has a widened roadway that ranges from two-lane to four-lane divided sections with sidewalk, bike lanes and roundabouts.

According to Tampa's Transportation Manager Jean Dorzback, the improvements have been a long time in coming.

"The community along the 40th Street corridor has wanted attention paid to this road literally since the 1940s," says Dorzback. "Mayor Iorio decided when she took office she would make it a priority for all the departments. It's had a long history for many, many years."

The 40th Street corridor runs between 30th Street on the west and 56th Street on the east. It's a major gateway to Busch Boulevard, Adventure Island, the University of South Florida, and two regional medical hospitals. Tampa city officials believe that improving the corridor along 40th Street will provide a more efficient route to these destinations and help alleviate congestion and improve safety for pedestrians and motorists.

After a study was conducted in 1997, the project was divided into five segments. John Carlo, Inc. handled construction for this part of the project at a total project cost of $5.1 million. The section between Yukon and Hanlon opened to traffic on Feb. 2, 2011. Two more sections will complete the corridor restoration where it reaches Hillsborough Avenue.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Jean Dorzback, City of Tampa