These are nail-biting times to be a commuter on the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway.
Dirt and cones line both sides of the road, which is mostly two lanes but suddenly opens up to about half a dozen at its largest toll plaza, then swiftly bottlenecks into two again. Just west of the 78th Street toll plaza, the two westbound lanes diverge, then reconnect a few hundred feet later.
And, oh yeah, there was this minor incident a few weeks ago involving a sinkhole and the elevated portion of the expressway that's under construction. Perhaps you heard about it.
The collapse of the elevated road raises an interesting question. Where would you rather have been when the Crosstown collapsed - on top of the elevated portion or below it?
At any rate, more and more drivers have begun to wonder whether this high-tech elevated road, with all its bells and whistles and retractable nets, will be safe enough when it opens next summer.
The purpose of the reversible road - part of a $350-million Crosstown project - is to deliver commuters one way between Brandon and Tampa during peak driving hours. In the morning, traffic flows west. In the afternoon, it flows east. Once you're on, you can't get off.
That doesn't sound very safe, does it? What happens if you blow a tire or choke on a curly fry?
Rest easy, say Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority officials. Drivers will be cared for.
"It's really an ideal emergency situation," said Expressway Authority spokeswoman PerryDawn Brown. "It's pretty easy to stop the traffic, especially when it's flowing in one direction. It's a pretty wide span. ... It's easier than a traditional road."
If there's an accident on the elevated road, yes, ambulances will have to enter and exit at one end or another. But in addition to its three lanes of traffic, the road will have wide shoulders for emergency vehicle traffic.
Ambulances will also be able to circumvent the technology that prevents cars from traveling the wrong way in the morning or afternoon. Ordinarily, a retractable net would pop out to catch cars that try to go east in the morning or west in the afternoon. But authority officials can override that technology in the event of an emergency.
Road officials are also prepared for worst-case scenarios.
There's always a chance that a car could fly over the edge and onto the roadway below. To minimize the odds of this happening, officials have installed concrete guardrails that are 2-feet, 8-inches high and reinforced with steel on the edge of the elevated road.
The roadway is sturdy enough, Brown says, to support a medical helicopter, should one need to land there.
This is not a minor consideration. Earlier this month, a van accident on Interstate 75 near the Manatee County line shut down traffic in both directions - the southbound lane, where the van was driving, and the northbound lane, which was the only place a helicopter could land.
The piers that support the road should be able to support a crane or trailer system needed to remove an overturned bus or recreational vehicle.
"That's small beans compared to what it's designed to hold," Brown said. "Each pier is designed to hold 7-million pounds."
So, while it may not be a picnic to drive on the current incarnation of the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, at least it'll be relatively tolerable when it's finally done.
If only we could get it done as soon as possible.
- The Lane Ranger is currently stuck in traffic. But he can be reached at cridlin@sptimes.com
