Exciting Developments: Tampa's West Riverwalk Construction Set to Transform the Cityscape

In Tampa, Florida, work is set to commence on the West River BUILD Project, a significant undertaking valued at over $56.8 million. This ambitious initiative aims to enhance neighborhood connectivity along the Hillsborough River while improving public access to the waterfront, as announced by the City of Tampa.

City officials, in collaboration with the design-build firm “Haskell,” hosted a public meeting Thursday evening to discuss the construction timeline and gather feedback from the community.

Governor DeSantis also recently announced plans for a new lane expansion on I-4.

The commencement of construction is scheduled for November 2025.

Once completed, the project will feature a multi-use trail stretching 12.2 miles citywide, which includes a two-mile Riverwalk located on the river’s west bank.

Officials added that the project will provide safer options for multimodal users — walkers, bikers, etc.

“It’s really going to stitch together the neighborhood on the west side of the river through West Tampa,” said Brandon Campbell, Interim Mobility Director for the City of Tampa. “Really address the needs of the neighborhood, including an active transportation component, with all of the development that’s happened around the University of Tampa, the new apartments, throughout the neighborhood that have a high demand on our roadway network.”

The city has contracted Haskell, a design-build firm, to construct approximately five miles of the multimodal network, covering the public segments of the Riverwalk.

The project will be built in six segments, with segment five reducing lanes on the bridge between North Rome Avenue and North Riverside Drive from four to three.

“We’re just reallocating the space on the bridge for all the multi-modal users — motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists — and trying to separate them for safety,” said Nina Mabilleau, Transportation Project Coordinator for the City of Tampa.

Not all residents are on board with the changes. JR Kozera expressed concerns about traffic congestion on West Columbus Drive, saying, “I think it’s just going to wreak havoc. Traffic is congested on Columbus already. It needs to be slowed down. But narrowing that bridge, I don’t think, is the answer.”

Privacy is also a concern for some neighbors.

“Would you want to have a multimillion-dollar home and look out your back door and see somebody staring back at you on a walk?” said Dianne McNeilly.

City leaders said the project’s target completion is early 2027.

Exciting Developments: Tampa’s West Riverwalk Construction Set to Transform the Cityscape

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