NEW TAMPA — After years of delays, crews are finally expected to begin work on the repaving of New Tampa Boulevard this week.
The contractor says milling, paving and striping was expected to begin Aug. 2.
A press conference marking the project is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 5.
New Tampa Boulevard runs east-west through West Meadows from Bruce B. Downs over the Gateway Bridge and becomes Commerce Park Boulevard as it passes by Freedom High and Liberty Middle schools.
It has become a strip of aged asphalt with cracks, potholes and patched sections from repairs years ago, drawing complaints from residents who drive the road every day.
The new improvements will also include improved crosswalks and signs.
The city says it has been making headway on many of the repaving projects it is behind on. Last year, it paved 76 miles, far above its typical average. This year, it has set a goal to double that.
The paving budget has increased from roughly $14 million to $41 million, in part due to rollover funds and $21.1 million from All For Transportation funds.
The road was originally supposed to be paved with money from the AFT surtax, expected to repair and upgrade roads across the region and which more than 60% of New Tampa voters supported. But legal challenges from former Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White led the Florida Supreme Court to strike down the tax in 2021. By then, the county had already collected roughly $570 million, much of it depleted by legal fees before the state redistributed what remained.
Tampa’s share was $21 million.
The project was finally approved last year, although the 2026 start has been delayed a few times.
Tampa City Council member Luis Viera said the milestone is a long time coming.
He said last April that getting the road paved was one of his top priorities before he leaves office in November. A month after saying it was a priority, he played a key role in securing $2.5 million from the city’s mobility budget to repave the aged road.
The project is expected to move forward in phases, with crews working overnight to limit traffic impacts. After years of delays, residents who have watched the road deteriorate may finally begin seeing fresh pavement instead of patches and potholes.