​Frontage Road Entrance Ramp To Northbound US 19 To Close Thursday

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The entrance ramp onto northbound U.S. 19 from Frontage Road (just north of the 118th Avenue North and Bryan Dairy Road intersection) will be closed from 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 to 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 13, weather permitting.

Drivers on northbound Frontage Road wishing to access northbound U.S. 19 will be detoured to continue along northbound Frontage Road and proceed through the intersection at Ulmerton Road (SR 688). Drivers can use the entrance ramp located off Frontage Road north of Ulmerton Road.

Additionally, southbound U.S. 19 will be closed to all traffic between the Ulmerton Road (SR 688) exit and the entrance ramp near 102nd Avenue North from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 to 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, weather permitting.

Detour routes are:

• Southbound U.S. 19: Drivers traveling south on U.S. 19 will be detoured to take the Ulmerton Road exit ramp onto southbound Frontage Road. Drivers will be directed to turn right onto westbound Ulmerton Road (SR 688), turn left onto southbound 66th Street North, turn left onto eastbound Bryan Dairy Road (CR 296), then turn right onto southbound Frontage Road and continue south to the southbound U.S. 19 entrance ramp near 102nd Avenue North.
• Westbound Ulmerton Road: Drivers will continue straight through the U.S. 19 overpass, then turn left onto southbound 66th Street North, turn left onto eastbound Bryan Dairy Road (CR 296), then turn right onto southbound Frontage Road and continue south to the southbound U.S. 19 entrance ramp near 102nd Avenue North.The closure is needed for Gateway Expressway bridge construction.

The closures are needed for the Gateway Expressway project bridge construction project.

The Florida Department of Transportation Gateway Expressway project includes the construction of new tolled roadways that will provide direct connections between U.S. 19 and Interstate 275, and the Bayside Bridge (north of 49th Street North) and I-275. Express lanes are being built on I-275.

Related:

• Howard Frankland Bridge, U.S. 19 To Close For Gateway Project
• Southbound US 19 Frontage Road To Be Closed South Of 126th Avenue
• Long-Discussed Reconstruction Of Howard Frankland Gets Underway
• 'Roadwork Ahead' Signs To Be Fixture In Pinellas For Next 2 Years

SR 690, a new four-lane tolled expressway connection from U.S. 19 to the west of I-275, is being built in the median of the existing 118th Avenue North. SR 690 will be elevated over portions of 118th Avenue North, 49th Street North, 47th Street North, 43rd Street North, 34th Street North, the ramp at 31st Court North and 28th Street North.

SR 686A, another new four-lane tolled expressway from the Bayside Bridge to just west of I-275 is primarily being built in the median of Roosevelt Boulevard between the Bayside Bridge and Ulmerton Road. An interchange at Ulmerton Road will be built as part of this project. The new roadway will continue south through the old Sunshine Speedway property until it merges with SR 690.

In addition to the new toll roads, I-275 is being widened to create express tolled lanes (one lane in each direction) from south of Gandy Boulevard to 4th Street North. The express lanes will be in the median next to the existing I-275 general-purpose (non-tolled) lanes.

Express lanes are a congestion management tool used in urban areas to ease congestion, improve traffic flow and give drivers travel options.

The $595.3 million project is expected to be completed this spring.