Northwest Hillsborough Expressway - The East-West Road Proposal Today

The East-West Road Proposal Today

Today, a segment of the failed Lutz Expressway continues to be regularly revived. It is simply called the East-West Road and is being spearheaded by the City of Tampa. The Florida's Turnpike Enterprise initially took on the plan but abandoned their efforts to build the highway after skyrocketing land acquisition prices and other financial burdens blocked their efforts. The Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority also attempted to take on the project, even after securing a private/public partnership, but their efforts have also largely failed. The highway faces additional criticism from environmental groups due to its proposed routing through sensitive wetlands.

There is also a bridge, which would cross I-75, in the works. Even if the East-West Road fails completely, the bridge still could be built sometime after the economy improves.