$1.7M upgrade at I-75's Wesley Chapel exit starts Monday

Archive photo, April 9, 2018: the northbound approach to Exit 279, shown for location context. The upcoming work is on the southbound exit ramp. Photo title: Int75nRoad-Exit279-CR54-FL54. Photo: formulanone. Photo source · CC-BY-SA-2.0.

A $1.7 million project to add a second left-turn lane at I-75's southbound Exit 279 is scheduled to begin Monday, October 5, bringing overnight lane closures to the Wesley Chapel interchange.

The Florida Department of Transportation says the work will widen and resurface the exit ramp to County Road 54, also identified in its closure notice as Wesley Chapel Boulevard. The agency lists spring 2027 as the estimated completion date.

When the ramp lanes will close

FDOT's October 4–10 traffic notice schedules ramp lane closures on Monday through Thursday nights, October 5–8, from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning. The last listed overnight work period therefore ends Friday morning, October 9.

All turns will remain available, according to the agency. Drivers can still use the exit during the announced work periods, although fewer ramp lanes will be available. People returning home late or leaving before dawn should allow extra time through the work area.

What the project will change

The finished ramp is designed to provide two left-turn lanes for drivers leaving southbound I-75 and heading east on CR 54. FDOT's project page also lists work on the shoulders, drainage, traffic signals, signs, pavement markings and intersection lighting.

Blacktip Services Incorporated is the listed contractor. The spring completion target applies to the overall project; the announced October lane closures cover its first week.

More overnight work on Bruce B. Downs

Nearby, FDOT also lists lane closures on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard from about 1.5 miles north of State Road 56 to Landry Lane, Sunday through Thursday nights, October 4–8, from 8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

At the SR 56 approach, the northbound right-turn lane is scheduled to close during those same hours. Right turns will remain available from the through lane.

Before an overnight trip, check the linked FDOT notices for updates and Florida 511 for current traffic conditions. The schedules and construction details above were checked against FDOT's published information on October 3.