Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority

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The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway is currently the only expressway the THCEA operates.

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority (THCEA) is an expressway authority based in Hillsborough County, Florida, which includes the city of Tampa. The authority owns the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Tampa and originally planned the neighboring Veterans Expressway. The THCEA was established in the early 1970s as part of an expressway building project in Hillsborough County.

[edit] THCEA Timeline

Since its establishment, the THCEA has been responsible for development of numerous roadway projects in Hillsborough County.

1970s-1980s: The THCEA designed and built the original South Crosstown Expressway in 1974 (5 miles in length) and extended it in 1979 and 1985. By 1986, the Crosstown Expressway totaled 15 miles in length and connected South Tampa to Downtown Tampa and east to Interstate 75.

1980s: During the early 1980s, the THCEA planned, designed and began purchasing right-of-way for construction of the Veterans Expressway project. The project was eventually constructed and is now operated by the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise.

1996: The THCEA began planning the Brandon feeder roads which eventually became the Brandon Parkway, a 3.5 mile system of non-tolled feeder and circulation roads in eastern Hillsborough County. Construction of this project was completee in 2004. In addition to providing much needed capacity and access, the roadway also features a heavily landscaped park-like setting with urban architecture and a recreational trail.

Unknown Date (sometime in the late 1990s): The THCEA begn planning for a beltway around the Tampa Bay Area.

1998-2006: The THCEA began planning the Reversible Express Lanes project, a ten-mile long set of reversible lanes from Brandon to downtown Tampa, most of which is constructed on a concrete segmental bridge in the Expressway median. Designed to save the expressway corridor for future transportation needs, the bridge was completed in 2006 and is now in operation. The project ran one year behind schedule because of an incident related to a foundation design flaw that resulted in the collapse of a bridge section during construction. The Authority has a lawsuit underway for $120 Million against the URS Corporation for design and construction management issues related to the incident.

2000-Present: The THCEA (along with FDOT and Florida's Turnpike) began planning for what is now known as the I-4/Crosstown Connector, an innovative, elevated route that would safely channel truck cargo traffic from I-4 to the Port of Tampa. Currently, the planning process is nearing completion with construction to begin as early as 2009.

2005-Present: In cooperation with the City of Tampa, the Expressway Authority has advertised for private concessionaires to construct the East-West Road (a City project) from New Tampa to I-275. The East-West Road is actually the remnants of the failed Lutz Expressway, which was originally part of the Northwest Hillsborough Expressway.

March 2006:The Expressway Authority opens the Meridian Gateway project into the Channel District of Downtown Tampa. This $50 Million construction of a new boulevard into the City that includes unique urban architecture, street and pedestrian lighting and landscaping has become a catalyst for more than $1 Billion in new investment in the downtown urban core.

May 2006: The THCEA restarted efforts on the beltway system to provide a much-needed bypass of downtown Tampa for many trips that are needlessly forced through the downtown area by the current roadway system. The beltway would also provide service to the extremely large suburban areas that already exist on the periphery of the City as well as the 400,000 of new population that is already being planned for the next twenty years in Hillsborough County.

July 2006-August 2006 The Reversible Express Lanes opened to traffic for the first time.

November 1, 2006 The Florida Turnpike Enterprise, in cooperation with the THCEA, began a new toll program called Pay-by-Plate. The program is designed to allow non-sunpass commuters to use the Reversible Lanes Bridge, without having to purchase a SunPass. The program uses a network of high resolution cameras along the expressway to create snapshots of a commuters license plates. Commuters who sign up for the program are then sent a bill via mail.