Hillsborough County Breaks Ground on $410M Selmon Expressway Extension

TAMPA — Hillsborough County Expressway Authority broke ground Wednesday on a $410 million extension of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, stretching the elevated tollway 6.2 miles southeast to Riverview to accommodate explosive residential growth in eastern Hillsborough County.

The project, known as the Selmon Extension Southeast, will connect the existing expressway terminus near downtown Tampa to U.S. Highway 301 in Riverview. The authority selected Skanska USA Civil Southeast as general contractor following a competitive procurement process that drew four bids.

“This is the most significant infrastructure investment in Hillsborough County in the past decade,” said Authority Executive Director Richard Clarendon. “The Riverview corridor has added more than 40,000 residents in five years, and these roads simply cannot handle the volume.”

The new expressway segment will include six lanes — three in each direction — with interchanges at Big Bend Road and U.S. 301. A connector to Interstate 75 at the south end will allow commuters to bypass the congested Gibsonton interchange.

Skanska will begin utility relocation and preliminary earthwork in April 2026. The full construction timeline spans 38 months, with the roadway projected to open to traffic in June 2029.

Funding for the project combines $180 million in Florida Turnpike Enterprise bonds, $140 million from FDOT’s Strategic Intermodal System program, and $90 million from local Hillsborough County transportation impact fees.

The project is expected to create approximately 2,800 construction jobs over its duration, according to an economic impact analysis by Tampa-based Tindale Oliver consultants.

Author: James Rivera

Infrastructure Reporter. Covers FDOT contracts, highway expansion, and transit projects across Florida. Former civil engineer with 12 years in highway design before transitioning to construction journalism.