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FDOT road improvement project to close parts of Gibsonton Drive near U.S. 301 for several weeks

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Published  February 28, 2025 5:26pm EST
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Crews start U.S. 301 improvements Friday night

FOX 13’s Kylie Jones reports on the first phase of a road improvement project at U.S. 301 and Gibsonton Drive in Hillsborough County beginning Friday evening, which will close a section of Gibsonton Drive for about three weeks.

The Brief

    • The Florida Department of Transportation is closing a section of Gibsonton Drive for about three weeks starting Friday evening.
    • It's part of the first phase of a road improvement project at U.S. 301 and Gibsonton Drive in Hillsborough County.
    • FDOT said drivers should use Big Bend Road and US 301 as alternate routes.

RIVERVIEW, Fla. - The first phase of a road improvement project at U.S. 301 and Gibsonton Drive in Hillsborough County begins Friday evening.

The Florida Department of Transportation is closing a section of Gibsonton Drive for about three weeks.

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"Gibsonton Drive, just west of U.S. 301, will be closed," FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said. "Lanes on U.S. 301 are also going to be reduced as well."

What you can do:

There will be two northbound and two southbound lanes open on U.S. 301 through the intersection at Gibsonton Drive.

"If you're traveling on I-75, you can exit Gibsonton," Carson said. "You will not be able to cross over 301."

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FDOT said drivers should use Big Bend Road and US 301 as alternate routes.  

Why you should care:

Crews will replace the asphalt pavement with concrete at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Gibsonton Drive and Boyette Road. FDOT said concrete is more durable and will last longer than asphalt.

"Right now, unfortunately, you see some rutting out there, and some of the asphalt is loose," Carson said. "When this project is completely done, we'll have a brand-new pavement out there."

Once the work is finished, FDOT officials said the intersection will be re-striped to accommodate an additional left-turn lane from Boyette Road onto southbound U.S. 301.

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Dig deeper:

The area around U.S. 301 and Gibsonton Drive in Riverview continues to grow quickly. FDOT said it needs to improve the roads in order to keep up with the high volume of traffic.

"As it's getting bigger, the traffic has gotten worse," Austin Siler, who lives and works in the area, said. "So, I think some redoing of the area would probably be for the better."

As part of the project, FDOT will also repave U.S. 301 from Whitt Road to Rivercrest Drive. 

What they're saying:

Some residents are glad to see work being done, because the traffic has caused wear and tear on the roads.

"There's definitely some spots along this road, along Gibsonton and 301 here, where there's some really rough patches where you can potentially lose tire if you go over too fast," Siler said.

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What's next:

While work is going on, a detour will take drivers to Riverview Drive, U.S. 41 and Symmes Road. FDOT is asking drivers to be patient and to give themselves extra time on the road, because there will be delays.

"It'll be an inconvenience for a few weeks, but it'll be better overall," Siler said.

Carson said because this is such a high-traffic area, there’s no ideal time of year to do this project.

"We told the contractor to get in and get out as quickly as possible, because we know this is an inconvenience, but we've got to get this done," she said.

FDOT said all the intersection work will be done in phases and will take about 140 days to complete. The first phase will complete work on the western half of the intersection. The eastern side of the intersection will be completed in another phase that is also expected to take about three weeks.

You can find more information about the project and sign up for traffic alerts through FDOT here.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered through interviews with a resident and a spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Transportation. 

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