Major Highway Systems of Tampla
Several roads, freeways, highways, and routes run across much of the Tampa Bay Area, and in this document, we’ll be talking about some of them, and why you should prioritize certain roads over other ones. Now, without further ado, let us begin.
First things first, the most important roads, the Interstates.
First, there’s Interstate 75, and its spur route, Interstate 275. Coming from the north, the former splits from the latter near the border of Tampa, crossing through the northern suburbs inside the city’s administrative zone, it also exits in the same area. East of the city, the freeway intersects with another Interstate, Interstate 4. It then goes south, hugging but never really in view of the coast. The route passes through the major towns of Bradenton and Sarasota, merging with its spur route I-275 just north of the former. After crossing these towns, the freeway exits the Tampa Bay Area altogether.
Speaking of the spur route, it is just as, if not more important than its originator route, as it passes through much of the main city. Interstate 275, after splitting from I-75, enters later than that route, however, it passes through much of Tampa, splitting the city in half vertically. It then goes west, crossing Old Tampa Bay on the Howard Frankland Bridge, and into the western peninsula. It then crosses the town of St. Petersburg, forming a concurrency with US Route 19, then crossing the Bay for the last time on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The concurrent road then splits at Terra Ceia, with I-275 merging with its originator I-75, it forms an interchange with US Route 41 beforehand.
Another Interstate that goes through the main city is Interstate 4. This route, an east-west one, is located solely in Florida, starting from Daytona Beach and ending within the city of Tampa. As for the route inside the Tampa Bay Area. It first comes from the east, intersecting with Interstate 75 and US Route 301 before going into its entry approach to the city. Coming from the suburb of East Lake-Orient Park, it passes through much of downtown Tampa, before ending at the interchange with the other freeway, Interstate 275.
Now we shall be talking about US Routes, and the first one to be discussed about is US Route 41, which runs alongside Interstate 275 but rarely enters into a concurrency with it. The route enters the city and deviates into the east, crossing much of the suburb of East Tampa. The route then goes on a course that hugs the coast much closer than Interstate 75, crossing the same towns and cities that the freeway goes through.
Another US Route that you should take is US Route 92. The road runs close by of Interstate 4, then makes temporary concurrencies with it and US Route 41, before splitting. By then it is now inside Tampa’s administrative area. It then passes close to Tampa International Airport, crossing the bay on West Gandy Boulevard, and into the nearby city of St. Petersburg.