New I-75 Big Bend Road exit ramp opens as part of $80M project

Big Bend I-75 exit ramp

Mariah Harrison reports.

RIVERVIEW, Fla. - Growing pains for South Hillsborough County will get some relief where traffic is concerned, as the Florida Department of Transportation opens up another new ramp at I-75 and Big Bend Road.

As of Tuesday, December 19, drivers exiting southbound I-75 to westbound Big Bend Road will have their own dedicated exit ramp, at exit 246.

Before the new exit lane, drivers exiting either eastbound or westbound Big Bend Road had to share one ramp.

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The setup caused daily delays on I-75.

Now, drivers can take one continuous lane/ramp from the southbound lanes of I-75 to the westbound lanes of Big Bend Road. A traffic signal also allows for eastbound turns as well.

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In all, FDOT plans to spend more than $80 million to transform the I-75/Big Bend Rd corridor to better support the growing population of South Hillsborough County.

Orange cones first went up in the corridor in December 2021, with the full project set to be complete by 2025.