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04/05/07 |
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The Road Leading to the World's Finest Airport As this page may be a little long, I have divided it up into sections for your reading pleasure. Simply scroll through the entire page or click on a link below to jump to a specific section of this page: Backgrounder on the airport and the interchange Photos of FL 60 and the access road Links, disclaimer and miscellaneous information First, a backgrounder on the airport and the interchange Constructed in 1970 and dubbed the "World's Finest Airport", Tampa International Airport was clearly the forerunner of the airport of the future with a centralized building for parking, ticketing, baggage claim and the shops and restaurants. To get to the gates passengers take a tram called a shuttle that corresponds to the airline the passenger is flying on. 30+ years and many major improvements later the passenger convenience continues. The interchange on FL 60 and the access road was constructed along with the airport in 1970. In 1976 improvements were made to FL 60 itself as well as Exit 39 on Interstate 275 which provided for an overpass crossing Cypress Street as well as access to Tampa International Airport from St. Petersburg with the construction of a flyover ramp. Access from Interstate 275 northbound to Cypress Street was constructed as well. However, the southbound entrance ramp from Kennedy Boulevard to Interstate 275 had to be closed to allow for construction of the flyover ramp. In 2005 a major construction project got underway which will reconfigure the ramps leading to Tampa International Airport which will benefit all Tampa Bay area residents not only access to Tampa International Airport but access to the Veterans Expressway. Of course any major reconstruction project results in some inconvenience but there's a great benefit when it's all said and done. According to the Florida DOT's Tampa Bay Interstates site the project is scheduled to be finished in 2010. FL 60 to Tampa International Airport and the Airport Access Road NOTE: The photos you see here is the access road to Tampa International Airport before construction began in 2005 which will reconfigure the ramps leading into and out of the airport. Motorists traversing the airport access road, especially rental car drivers, are advised to use extreme caution, be alert to any temporary lane configurations and obey speed limits as posted. It's going to be a mess for a while but in the end we will have a better Tampa International Airport access road for years to come! Advance signage for Tampa International Airport just ahead. Simply remain in one of the two right lanes to gain access to the airport. The airport access road veers off to the right while FL 60 veers to the left. FL 60 north of here takes motorists to the Veterans Expressway (FL Toll 589) as well as Clearwater via the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Northbound on the airport access road and the exit for the post office. Use this exit for the economy parking garage as well as the cell phone lot. The airport access road was dedicated as the George J Bean Parkway in honor of the retired executive director of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, a Hillsborough County governmental body responsible for the operation of not only Tampa International Airport but three general aviation airports in Hillsborough County. Follow the red signs for the following airlines: Southwest (your webmaster's favorite), Spirit, Ted and United. Also follow the red signs for the airport hotel. Follow the blue signs for the following airlines: American, Delta, Delta Express and JetBlue. Remain in the left lane for short term and long term parking. The overpass in the background is for the airplanes that taxi to or from the gates. Overhead signage for the arriving and departing drives. Follow the color coded signs to the airline of your choice. A Southwest jet parked proudly at Airside A. In 2005 Southwest moved from Airside A to Airside C. Stay in the left lane for arriving flights or in the middle lane for departing flights. You can return to the terminal/parking garages or exit the airport in the right lane. The left exit makes a loop back to the terminal as well as the parking garages. Stay in the right lane to exit the airport. Welcome to Tampa, City of Champions! After winning the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup and the Arena Bowl championships Tampa is proud of that distinction. Left exit is to return to the terminal and the parking garages as well as the post office. You can also reach the economy parking garage as well as the cell phone lot at this exit. The airport exit is straight ahead. Overhead signage for FL 60 west to Clearwater and the Veterans Expressway as well as FL 616 east which places you on Spruce Street. Interstate 275 to Tampa and St. Petersburg is straight ahead. Final opportunity to exit at FL 616 eastbound. The overpass bridges I believe are scheduled for replacement as part of the airport interchange reconstruction project. Links, Disclaimer and Miscellaneous Stuff First of all, here's an important disclaimer. In addition to the standard disclaimer applicable to Interstate275Florida.com, this page and site is not the official site of Tampa International Airport and is not associated in any way. However, you are welcome to visit their official web site. For links to individual airlines that service Tampa International Airport, I strongly urge you to visit the Tampa International Airport web site (click on Flight Info, then Airlines at TPA) for the latest information. While you are there you can also check flight status, which is helpful if you are leaving on a flight or meeting someone on an arriving flight. If you are flying in to Tampa International Airport, I prepared a flyer on how to navigate Interstate 275 in the Tampa Bay area as well as the Tampa Bay highway network which I believe will be helpful for our arriving visitors. Click on this link to access the flyer (requires Adobe PDF to view)! |
This site was last updated 03/25/07