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Tampa Bay’s Hometown Morning Krewe

Tampa Bay’s Hometown Morning Krewe

Tampa Bay’s Hometown Morning Krewe

Major Traffic Relief For Big Bend Drivers

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Author Tampa Bay's Morning Krewe

They call the area of I-75 and Big Bend “Malfunction Junction Jr.”,  It is a messy commute.  Now there is major traffic relief for Big Bend Drivers as a new exit ramp opens today.  If yo u live in south Hillsborough county and you have to drive on Big Bend road to get to and from work or school, you know the nightmare it is.

Traffic getting onto I-75 is backed up in both directions.  When they designed the intersection years ago, it wasn’t intended to handle the amount of cars it does today.  That is why they had to expand this major entry and exit onto I-75.  The project got started in 2021 and there is finally some progress happening.

FDOT announced that the new ramp will be on southbound I-75 at Exit 246.  Drivers heading southbound on I-75 can now use the new exit ramp.   The exit ramp will provide access to both eastbound and westbound directions on Big Bend Road.

Traffic in the morning is usually backed up to 301 as well as backups near US 41.  This new exit ramp will help clear up some congestion for drivers.

The current project is still far off from being completed, but it’s progress.   They opened up the ramp to head northbound on I-75 from Big Bend back in October which has made a big difference as well.

The project is part of an $80+ million project that is rebuilding the I-75 interchange at Big Bend Road. In addition to the new exit, it will also widen Big Bend Road between Covington Garden Drive and Simmons Loop, and rebuild the bridges over the roads.

FDOT said the overall project has an expected completion date in the summer of 2025.

5 New Things To Look Forward To In Tampa In 2024

It’s time to close the chapter to 2023 and look forward to the next year. Luckily for us in Tampa, there’s a lot to be excited about in 2024. Be on the lookout for these new businesses and experiences in Tampa Bay next year.

Champa Bay seems to be growing and expanding more and more each year. So many new places and experiences popped up in 2023, and it was hard to keep track. We discovered a bunch of new restaurants, hotels, and adventures that opened up this past year. 2024 might be even better! We get to look forward to new restaurants and bars, roller coasters, and so many big acts playing Tampa venues (just to name a few). With the help of Creative Loafing and That’s So Tampa, we made a list of 5 things to look forward to in Tampa in 2024

Related: 7 New Restaurants That Opened In Tampa This Year

To help make this list, we got some of our inspiration from Creative Loafing. They told us 20 new restaurants to look out for in 2024. A couple of them made our list, but you can check out the full list here. But we wanted to expand more on things to get excited about in Tampa for next year.

2023 in review:

Tampa had a lot of growth in 2023, leaving us excited for what’s to come. This year we said “hello” to many new businesses and attractions including the tallest rooftop bar in Tampa, new restaurants with Michelin-star chefs, changes to our favorite theme park, and more. We also said “goodbye” to some of our favorite businesses and athletes who got traded to other teams (like Pat Maroon on the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ji-man Choi on the Rays).

Thinking of moving to Tampa in 2024?

One of the great things about Tampa is it’s constantly changing for the better. But that also means it’s becoming a really competitive market for those looking to move here. One thing we can count on with all of these new additions of 5-star restaurants and new affordable and luxury housing is that more people will surely be packing their things and heading to the Tampa Bay area. If you plan on making the move next year, check out some of our realistic advise before making the move.

Here are 5 new things to look forward to in Tampa for 2024

  • New Restaurants

    We’ve already told you about some of the new places we’re excited to see open in 2024. Coffee enthusiasts can get excited for a famous west coast coffee chain to open in Tampa next year. Dutch Bros coffee will be coming to the Ballast Point sometime in 2024. Learn more about that here.

    Water street will continue to grow with the highly anticipated Italian-inspired restaurant Ash opening in the early spring. The Edition will also be gaining a new cocktail lounge called Alter Ego. This spot will offer an energetic vibe with a curated musical experience.

    A few of Tampa’s staple restaurants will be opening second locations across the bridge in St. Pete. Now there will be an Olivia and Forbici in the burg!

    A brown coffee and green energy drink outside of a Dutch Bros Coffee shop.

    Dutch Bros drinks outside of a location.

     

  • More Fun At Busch Gardens and Adventure Island

    Tampa’s favorite theme parks are also making some changes in 2024. Phoenix Rising is a new family-friendly coaster coming to Busch Gardens in the spring of 2024 in the Pantopia area of the park.

    Adventure Island is also adding a new interactive splash and play area opening in Spring of 2024. Castaway Falls is the ideal play and relax spot for kids of all ages.

     

  • New Encounters At ZooTampa

    Earlier this year ZooTampa announced a $125 million expansion with multiple new habitats. First up on the expansion is the Stingray in-water experience. The Wallaroo are is also being reimagined as Australia with new rides, expanded splash pad, new restaurant and bar and even a wallaby encounter! You can also now reserve your encounter with a clouded leopard where you can witness a training session with the beautiful cat!

     

     

  • Gas Worx Development In Ybor

    Gas Worx is going to be one of the biggest developments in Tampa. The first 317-unit apartment development within Gas Worx is scheduled to be completed in early Spring 2024! Gas Worx will certainly enhance Ybor and make a better connection to Downtown.

  • Concerts, Concerts, Concerts

    There have already been so many awesome concerts announced for 2024. Billy Joel & Sting, Morgan Wallen, Madonna, Bad Bunny, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more!

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Raymond James Stadium (@rjstadium)

Launa is part of Tampa Bay's Hometown Morning Krewe on 99.5 WQYK. She has been with the station for 7 years and joined J.R. and Kevin on the morning show 4 years ago. Since then, they have been nominated for not only a CMA but also an ACM. Launa has been in radio for the past 28 years and in the Tampa Bay market for 22 of those years. While working in radio, Launa has also served as an entertainment reporter on a local TV show and has hosted many charity events in the community. Using her popularity from QYK, Launa loves to help raise money for shelter animals and has been a volunteer at local shelters for years. Launa loves the community and writes articles on local news, entertainment, and events and highlights people who are shining in Tampa Bay that she knows others like her would also be interested in reading.

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