Newly widened roads will greet fans who go to games at the planned new Tampa Bay Rays stadium in Tampa.
Hillsborough County transportation planners approved a $10 million package Wednesday. It will widen Tampa Bay Boulevard to four lanes from Dale Mabry Highway to Lois Avenue. A new intersection will be built at the stadium entrance. Also, Air Cargo Road will be widened for four lanes from Tampa Bay Boulevard to West Ohio Avenue, just west of the stadium.
The money will come from the National Highway Performance Program and state transportation funds. Construction is expected to start in 2027.
The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization approved the widening by a 13-2 vote. One of the naysayers was board member and county commissioner Joshua Wostal. He has been a consistent opponent of using public money for the Rays stadium, and said there will likely be some kind of legal challenge to the plan to pay for the stadium.
"Is the money still guaranteed if the stadium dies for any reason, including a prevailing lawsuit?" he asked the board, without getting an answer. "There's just a myriad of reasons and outstanding documents that could still kill this deal and there's almost certainly going to be a legal challenge."
The $2.3 billion indoor stadium would arise on land now occupied by the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College. The city and county will contribute no more than $876 million toward construction, while the Rays will cover more than $1.3 billion and all cost overruns.
The Rays are planning to break ground on the ballpark in November, with the goal to have it completed at the start of the 2029 season.
