Pinellas Gateway Expressway Project

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District 7 (in coordination with local governments)

• ITS maintenance
• 30 miles of fiber optic backbone
• 51 Concrete ITS Poles
• 15 Steel ITS Poles
• 83 ITS Cabinets
• 1 Master Hub Building
• 69 Microwave Vehicle Detector Sensors
• 53 CCTV Cameras
• 73 Field Ethernet Switches
• 1 Layer 3 Ethernet Hub Switches
• 66 Uninterrupted Power Supplies
• 37 Dynamic Message Signs
• 4 Complete Express Lane Toll Sites
• 900 Light Poles
• 4 New Traffic Signal Intersections
• 6 Traffic Signal Intersection Modifications

• The project uses elevated tolled roadways in medians and over existing corridors to reduce footprint impact while improving connectivity.
• Integration of express tolled lanes on I-275 in the median configuration, adding capacity without entirely reconstructing the main I-275 alignment.
• The project supports fully electronic tolling (SunPass / Toll-By-Plate) for the new express segments.
• The construction required complex flyover bridges, interchange designs, and phased construction in an urban corridor with constrained right-of-way.

• Traffic Congestion Relief: Diverts through-traffic off local arterial roads (e.g. Roosevelt Blvd, 118th Ave, local streets), reducing gridlock and easing flow on surface streets.
• Improved Regional Connectivity: Provides more direct, high-speed tolled routes between US 19, the Bayside Bridge, and I-275, improving mobility across Pinellas and connecting Hillsborough.
• Travel Time Savings: By enabling free-flowing tolled express segments, it reduces delays that would otherwise occur on congested local roads and in ramp/merge zones.
• Safety Improvements: Fewer conflict points (stop-and-go, merges, weaving on ramps/arterials) reduce crash potential. The express lanes and grade separations lower interactions with local traffic.