Highway project benefits Tampa port

Highway project benefits Tampa port    Florida Gov. Charlie Crist attended a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for a connector road between Interstate 4 and the Selman Expressway, which will include a an elevated truck bypass lane connecting the Port of Tampa's main gate with the highway system.
   The $390 million project is a joint effort of the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Turnpike and the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority. It will operate as a limited access, toll road.
   Construction began in March and is expected to be completed in 2013, which the port notes coincides with the opening of new locks in the Panama Canal capable of handling larger vessels.
   The project was fast-tracked as a result of federal stimulus money.
   'We can build a world-class port and bring in cargo and containers in heavier volumes as the years go by, but without adequate traffic flow into and out of the port, it is just difficult to imagine handling much more truck traffic than the 11,000 truck moves on average we already see per day,' Tampa Port Director Richard Wainio said in statement. 'Construction of a dedicated truck ramp that connects this huge volume of truck traffic directly with the Interstate Highway system is a win-win for the region, the port, port users, truckers, carriers and to the surrounding business community.'