Building What’s Next: Enhancing Connectivity in Tampa Bay

Originally published by the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA), this article was written by Executive Director & CEO Greg Slater and has been updated to reflect the agency’s most current information.

In a rapidly growing region like Tampa Bay, transportation networks must evolve with intention. At THEA, we’ve made it our mission to create a community-focused, future-ready transportation ecosystem that delivers real-time solutions today while enabling innovations prepared to evolve into the system of tomorrow. That commitment is reflected in our $752 million Work Plan for Fiscal Years 2026 through 2031.

With $692 million dedicated to infrastructure construction, this six-year investment plan is the result of data-driven project selection, community feedback, and a long-term vision grounded in THEA’s Strategic Blueprint.

Prioritizing Purposeful Infrastructure

Every project in our work plan is designed to achieve specific, measurable impacts to reduce congestion, improve safety, and support the vitality of our region’s neighborhoods. Among the major capital investments are:

  • The upcoming South Selmon Capacity Project aims to increase capacity on the existing Lee Roy Selmon Expressway to meet anticipated growth. The project includes community enhancements, such as noise walls, underpass improvements, stormwater features, and a signature bridge leading into downtown Tampa.
  • The Whiting Street extension will improve downtown access and reduce expressway bottlenecks during event nights at Benchmark International Arena. Go Lightning!
  • Full integration of next-generation ITS infrastructure, a new roadside tolling system, and a new operational back office system.
  • A series of resurfacing and preservation projects across Meridian Avenue, Brandon Parkway, and the broader Selmon system.

Investing in Community and Innovation

The future of tolling—and transportation in general—is multidimensional. That’s why THEA is dedicating resources to community enhancements and technology upgrades as core components of our work plan.

From the Meridian Health Trail refresh to new green spaces like 12th Street Park and the Bay to Bay Boulevard Community Park, we’re threading connectivity into every corridor we touch. This mindset supports a more walkable, livable Tampa where the region expands from the downtown nexus and acknowledges the vitality of the neighborhoods under and around the expressway.

Technologically, we’re making some of our most important system upgrades to date, including:

  • Replacing our Operational Back Office System (OBOS) with a more intuitive, modular, and intelligent platform that empowers users and improves real-time reporting.
  • Expanding our Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and deploying an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) to improve responsiveness across our network.
  • Strengthening our Wrong-Way Detection System
  • Taking our Connected Vehicle (V2X) integration, which we’ve championed since leading the USDOT’s first CV Pilot Deployment in 2015, to the next level

All these efforts are rooted in security-first design and upgrades to safeguard operational and customer data.

Leadership Through Stewardship

Every dollar is backed by a commitment to public value, fiscal responsibility, and the return on investment our customers experience with every toll dollar entrusted to us. It’s why our Board of Directors unanimously approved the plan. As Vincent Cassidy, our Board Chair, noted, “These investments are rooted in fiscal discipline, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of what our community needs to thrive for generations to come.”

And that’s the guiding principle for us at THEA: to anticipate what’s next and build it today. What we’ve learned at THEA is that we can meet these challenges by centering our work on the people we serve. They are the lens through which we make our decisions, our neighbors, our community.