Exit 40A: Westshore Blvd.
Continuing northbound on Interstate 275 through Tampa we pass through Westshore Blvd. When this stretch of Interstate 275 was constructed in 1962 originally as a westward extension of Interstate 4, it used to be a 4-lane highway featuring a full service entrance and exit. Evidence of the segment being a 4-lane highway is apparent by looking at the overpass pile caps at Westshore Blvd. as it passes under Interstate 275. In the mid-1970’s this segment was widened to 6 lanes as part of a widening and modernization project to enhance capacity during the morning and evening commute. In the mid- to late 1980’s the interchange at Westshore Blvd. was reduced from a full diamond to a half diamond to make room for capacity enhancements at Exit 39, the exit for FL 60 and Tampa International Airport.
In its present configuration motorists can at Westshore Blvd. enter Interstate 275 northbound and exit Interstate 275 southbound. However, southbound Interstate 275 motorists exiting at Westshore Blvd. can also go straight ahead onto Lemon Street. Exit 40A will retain its current configuration when the reconstruction project on Interstate 275 wraps up in 2016; a major improvement is the southbound exit ramp now has better capacity than what it was before.
Westshore Plaza (to the immediate south of Interstate 275) and International Plaza (about a mile north of Interstate 275) can be reached on Westshore Blvd., as well as the various office complexes that dot the Westshore area of Tampa.
