Truck traffic between the Port of Tampa and the Interstate Highway System received a major boost this week with the opening of the new I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector project, which includes a new dedicated express truck lane.

A priority project for the Florida Department of Transportation, the new ramp allows for expedited truck movements between the Port and the Tampa Bay/Orlando I-4 corridor, home to Florida’s largest concentration of distribution centers.

“The opening of the I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector ushers in a new era of efficiency for the Port of Tampa, and our customers,” Paul Anderson, port president and CEO, said.

The I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector project is a series of new north-south toll ramps to and from Interstate 4, the Selmon Expressway and 20th Street, which connect Interstate 4 with the Selmon Expressway west of 31st Street in Tampa, as well as provide truck ramps connecting the Port of Tampa area with I-4. This new elevated road network provides a vital link between these two major east-west corridors and significantly improves the movement of people and goods.