Diverging diamond interchange at I-75 and MLK in East Tampa set to open this weekend

TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Transportation cautioned drivers in East Tampa to prepare for major changes along East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, as crews put the finishing touches on a new interchange with I-75 scheduled to open this weekend.

On Friday, MLK Boulevard will be closed near the I-75 interchange. It'll remain closed through Sunday, when a new diverging diamond interchange will open to traffic.

Drivers in both directions on MLK will briefly cross to the other side of the road, where cars can then enter onto I-75. Traffic will continue through the interchange and then cross back over to the right side of the roadway.

According to FDOT project managers, this type of traffic pattern gives drivers more direct access to the interstate. It also cuts down the number of traffic lights and no longer forces drivers to turn left to get onto the interstate.

"It's definitely an operational improvement, but it's also a safety aspect as well," said Austin Petersen, an FDOT project manager. "You don't have traffic crossing over the opposing lanes of travel at this point. With the swap to the other side of the roadway, you're just taking a ramp that's on your side of the roadway already."

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Petersen said the diverging diamond is becoming more popular across the state. The department opened similar traffic patterns on State Road 56 in Pasco County in 2022 and on University Parkway in Sarasota in 2017.

The current project is part of FDOT's ongoing improvements along I-75, which are expected to continue through next summer.

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