PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A major road closure will impact drivers in Pinellas County over the weekend.
Northbound and southbound travel lanes on US-19 and northbound US-19 Frontage Road will close at 9 p.m. Friday night. The lanes will remain closed through 9 p.m. Sunday.
“The contractor is putting up girders which is for a new bridge. It’s going to be the westbound toll lanes from I-275 to northbound US-19. These are large bridge structures you have to put up in the air so you can’t have motorists be underneath,” Kris Carson with the Florida Department of Transportation said.
She said the work is part of the Gateway Expressway Project.
“We’re essentially construction two new, two lane elevated toll roadways that are going to provide direct connection between the Bayside Bridge and I-172 and US-19 and I-275,” Carson said.
The $595 million project started in 2017. It’s expected to be completed in 2023.
In the meantime, drivers should expect more closures while crews finish the work.
“We have a lot of congestion in the areas and this area is going to give people options. We’re hopefully reliving congestion, providing extra capacity and giving people options for new routs,” Carson added.
During the weekend closures, drivers can take the following detours:
Southbound US-19 at Ulmerton Road
- All southbound US 19 traffic will be detoured to take the exit at Ulmerton Road (SR 688), then turn south onto 66th Street. Traffic will continue south on 66th Street, then turn east onto Bryan Dairy Road towards the US-19 southbound Frontage Road to re-enter southbound US-19.
Northbound US-19 at Bryan Dairy Road
- All northbound US-19 traffic will be detoured to take the exit at Bryan Dairy Road near 110th Avenue North. Traffic will continue north on Bryan Dairy Road, then turn east onto 118th Avenue, then north onto 49th Street towards Ulmerton Road. Traffic will turn west on Ulmerton Road to re-enter northbound US-19
Northbound US-19 Frontage Road
- Traffic traveling north on US-19 Frontage Road will detour east onto Bryan Dairy Road/118th Avenue, then north onto 49th Street, and continue west on Ulmerton Road to regain access to northbound US-19 Frontage Road.
Southbound US-19 Frontage Road traffic will remain in the current traffic pattern.