Update: TPO Approves $10.3M Road Plan Around Rays Stadium Site

The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization voted 13 to 2 on October 14 to add nearly $7 million for road work around the planned Tampa Bay Rays stadium, raising the Tampa Bay Boulevard and Air Cargo Road project to $10.28 million with construction scheduled for 2027, according to Tampa Bay 28. This is an update to our earlier coverage, Tampa Council Reverses Course, Approves Rays Stadium Bond Validation Step. The new development is the first funded roadway package tied to the stadium site, approved as officials say visible site work is close.

What Happened

The TPO board approved an amendment to the fiscal year 2027 to 2031 Transportation Improvement Program covering operational and safety improvements along Tampa Bay Boulevard and Air Cargo Road Tampa Bay 28. The amendment raises the project total from $3,407,714 to $10,283,642. That includes $9,952,621 for construction, $31,412 for construction support operations and $299,609 for additional construction support.

Reported totals vary slightly by outlet. Hoodline noted that the TPO planning document lists about $10.28 million in fiscal 2027 construction funding, that the Tampa Bay Business Journal described the Tampa Bay Boulevard work as a $10.3 million project, and that WUSF put the package at $10 million. The figures describe the same amendment.

The Scope of Work

According to Tampa Bay 28, the project includes:

• Tampa Bay Boulevard widened from two lanes to four where it is currently two lanes. A section that already has four lanes will not be widened.
• Air Cargo Road widened from two lanes to four. Hoodline reported the Air Cargo Road widening runs between Tampa Bay Boulevard and West Ohio Avenue, and the Tampa Bay Boulevard work runs between Dale Mabry Highway and Lois Avenue.
• The roundabout at South Lois Avenue and Tampa Bay Boulevard expanded from one lane to two.
• The Tampa Bay Boulevard and Air Cargo Road intersection extensively reconstructed to handle airport traffic and stadium event traffic.
• Two new traffic signals, including one near the planned stadium entrance.
• Resurfacing, sidewalk construction, roundabout upgrades and added drainage capacity.

Hoodline reported that the planning document says the upgrades are meant to handle the traffic the stadium is expected to generate Hoodline.

Why the Cost Tripled

TPO staff attributed the roughly $7 million increase to a larger scope and higher construction costs Tampa Bay 28. They cited the roundabout redesign, extending the Tampa Bay Boulevard widening farther west, the added drainage capacity, the signal at the stadium entrance, and rising material and construction prices.

The added money comes from state and federal funds drawn from the Florida Department of Transportation's statewide reserves, and staff said it will not take funding from other Tampa Bay projects. The primary construction funding is listed as Advanced Construction National Highway Performance Program money, with state in house operations support listed separately Tampa Bay 28.

Concerns Raised at the Vote

Board members approved the money but pressed on what it does not cover, Tampa Bay 28 reported:

• Flooding. Staff described both roads as areas with known flooding problems. The added drainage capacity is meant to address that.
• Overlapping events. Members raised the possibility of two events at once in the stadium area, with effects on traffic, parking and emergency planning. One member questioned spending on that analysis, citing Rays leadership's statements that games would not overlap.
• West Tampa neighborhoods. Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen focused on daily impacts for residents and businesses, not only event days.
• Pedestrian safety. Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin, a TPO board member, urged protections along Dale Mabry Highway, which he called high speed. Planned pedestrian bridges over Dale Mabry are not part of this amendment.
• Street classification and rideshare. Members discussed whether Tampa Bay Boulevard should be reclassified and where rideshare pickup should go. No decisions were made, and any reclassification would be up to the City of Tampa.

Board member Joshua Wostal asked whether the transportation money would remain available if the stadium is not built, for example because of a lawsuit. Staff did not give a definitive answer and said they would follow up Tampa Bay 28. A member of the public, Alfonso Lopez, supported the amendments by email and asked for pedestrian, ADA, bicycle and transit reviews, coordination with utility and stormwater agencies, and attention to small businesses.

A Broader Review Is Coming

Cohen asked for a regional overview of transportation projects around the stadium and Tampa International Airport, including when each begins and where they overlap. "I think we need to see the big picture and the big context," he said Tampa Bay 28. The board approved the request without opposition, and December 9 was identified as the earliest practical date for the presentation. Members also discussed a possible benchmarking study for a West Tampa stadium district. The first phase would review transportation data such as pedestrian movement and delays, and a second phase could need funding from the county, city and Tampa Sports Authority. That study is separate from the $10.3 million amendment.

Clendenin described the road package as "just part of the process."

Where the Stadium Stands

The indoor stadium is estimated at $2.36 billion, with the city and county contributing no more than $876 million combined and the Rays covering more than $1.3 billion plus any cost overruns Hoodline. It is expected to open in 2029. As we have previously reported, the ballpark site is Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus near Raymond James Stadium.

A groundbreaking that had been anticipated for September 2026 passed without a public event, Tampa Bay 28 reported. Clendenin said he expects groundwork to become visible in "weeks, not months" and that vertical construction could begin in the spring, though he said those expectations came from briefings and are not a formal construction schedule. "It's all hands on deck," he said. Before major work can start, the existing college campus must be deconstructed and students relocated Tampa Bay 28.

The road vote came one day before Tampa City Council approved a bond validation step for the city's share of the deal, which we covered in our earlier update, and a week after the Rays drew about 400 attendees to trade outreach for the project, covered in Rays Plan Westshore Experience Center as Stadium Trade Outreach Draws 400.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Road and drainage bids in 2027. With construction scheduled for 2027, roadwork, drainage, signal and roundabout contractors should watch for FDOT and local procurement on this package.
• Escalation is already showing. Staff explicitly cited rising material and construction costs as part of the increase. Bidders should expect owners to scrutinize unit prices.
• Overlapping work zones. Road work near the airport and stadium site will overlap with campus deconstruction and stadium construction. Haul routes, lane closures and maintenance of traffic plans will need close coordination.
• Flood prone corridors. Known flooding on both roads means drainage and stormwater scope is central, not incidental.
• More packages likely. Pedestrian bridges over Dale Mabry and other improvements are not in this amendment. The December regional review could reveal additional projects.

What to Watch

• The regional transportation overview, expected no earlier than December 9.
• Visible site work and campus deconstruction on the Dale Mabry site.
• Funding and timing for pedestrian bridges over Dale Mabry.
• Staff's answer on whether the road money stays in place if the stadium is delayed.
• City action on Tampa Bay Boulevard's classification and stadium district guidelines.

Bottom Line

The TPO vote puts real money behind the first road package serving the Rays stadium, and it more than tripled the budget in the process. The approval keeps the infrastructure timeline moving toward a 2029 opening, but board members made clear that traffic, flooding and pedestrian safety questions around the site are far from settled.

Related Coverage

• Tampa Council Reverses Course, Approves Rays Stadium Bond Validation Step
• Rays Plan Westshore Experience Center as Stadium Trade Outreach Draws 400
• Selmon Expressway Widening Closes Downtown Tampa Street for Two Years
• Hillsborough Advances $75M for ZooTampa's 15-Year, $150M Expansion

Image credit: Tampa Bay 28 (WFTS). Image from the source article.

Sources

• Tampa Bay 28 (WFTS), "TPO approves road plan near upcoming Rays stadium as questions persist over traffic": https://www.tampabay28.com/news/local-news/tampa-metro-west-hillsborough-county/tpo-approves-road-plan-near-upcoming-rays-stadium-as-questions-persist-over-traffic-flooding-and-west-tampa-impacts
• Hoodline, "Hillsborough Greenlights $10M Road Widening for Tampa's New Rays Stadium": https://hoodline.com/2026/10/hillsborough-greenlights-10m-road-widening-for-tampa-s-new-rays-stadium/