TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Major traffic congestion is expected for drivers in downtown Tampa this weekend, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

FDOT will shut down all northbound lanes of Interstate 275 and keep only one southbound lane open starting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The closure is scheduled to last until 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 6 as crews install the final four steel girders for a new two-lane bridge from southbound I-275 to eastbound I-4.

Delivery driver Charles Howell said the closure will test drivers’ patience.

“There’s a bunch of ways to get down here but like if you’re cutting out the main supply then what are we going to do,” Howell said.

FDOT senior construction project manager Andrew Williams said the girders are critical to the project’s next phase.

“The girders is part of the superstructure that we use to help support the deck, which is the deck is what everyone drives on,” Williams said. “Two of them are actually to be installed above northbound 275. So, it’s not safe to have these girders being erected with live traffic underneath.”

With lanes reduced, Williams warns congestion will be heavier than usual.

“We do expect to have a lot of congestion, definitely a lot more than you typically see on a Saturday or Sunday,” he said.

For some drivers, backups are already frustrating.

“Something that should take two minutes can sometimes take 20 minutes,” said motorist Tyler Winkler. “It’s going to be even worse. Just each day we’re building something new down here. So with the traffic, it’s going to be ridiculous on top of all of that.”

The weekend work is part of FDOT’s $227 million Downtown Interchange Project, designed to improve safety, add community amenities, and ease traffic flow by 2027.

Williams said the weekend was carefully chosen to limit disruptions.

“This is one of the very few weekends that we don’t have a Bucs game. We don’t have a Lightning game. There’s no major event going on in the area,” he said. “So we had it very strategically planned out, and we’ve been planning for months for this very specific weekend.”

Still, Howell said drivers may need to come prepared.

“I guess you just got to be prepared, bring snacks with you if you’re willing to drive a mile. You know, it’s going to be forever,” he said.

What are the detours?

FDOT has outlined several detour routes for motorists during the closure:

• Northbound I-275: Drivers should continue south to Exit 45A and use the temporary ramp to re-enter southbound I-275.
• Southbound I-275 needing Downtown East-West access (Exit 45A): Exit at 46A, turn right on Floribraska Avenue, left on Tampa Street, and continue south to downtown streets.
• Southbound I-275 to eastbound I-4: The ramp will remain open all weekend.
• Westbound I-4 to southbound I-275/Downtown Tampa (Saturday, Oct. 4, 5 a.m.–10 p.m.): Proceed onto the northbound I-275 entrance ramp, exit at 46B, turn left onto Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, left on Tampa Street, and continue south to access I-275 southbound or downtown.

FDOT also said electronic message boards and temporary signs will help guide drivers.