Building What’s Next: How THEA’s $752M Work Plan Will Enhance Connectivity in Tampa Bay
In a rapidly growing region like Tampa Bay, the transportation networks must evolve with intention. At the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), we’ve made it our mission to create a community-focused, future-ready transportation ecosystem that delivers real-time solutions today while enabling innovations prepared to evolve into the system of tomorrow. That commitment is reflected in our newly approved $752 million Work Plan for Fiscal Years 2026 through 2031.
With $692 million dedicated to infrastructure construction, this six-year investment plan is the result of data-driven project selection, community feedback, and a long-term vision grounded in THEA’s Strategic Blueprint.
Prioritizing Purposeful Infrastructure
Every project in our work plan is designed to achieve specific, measurable impacts to reduce congestion, improve safety, and support the vitality of our region’s neighborhoods. Among the major capital investments are:
- The South Selmon Capacity Project aims to increase the capacity of the existing Lee Roy Selmon Expressway to help meet anticipated growth. The project includes community enhancements, such as noise walls within the project scope, underpass improvements with pedestrian infrastructure, and even a dog park and community space to activate public spaces around the expressway.
- The Whiting Street extension will improve downtown access and reduce expressway bottlenecks during event nights at Amelie Arena. Go Lightning!
- Full integration of next-generation ITS infrastructure, a new roadside tolling system, and a new operational back office system.
- A series of resurfacing and preservation projects across Meridian Avenue, Brandon Parkway, and the broader Selmon system.
Investing in Community and Innovation
The future of tolling—and transportation in general—is multidimensional. That’s why THEA is dedicating resources to community enhancements and technology upgrades as core components of our Work Plan.
From the Meridian Health Trail refresh to new green spaces like 12th Street Park and the Bay to Bay Boulevard Community Park, we’re threading connectivity into every corridor we touch. This mindset supports a more walkable, livable Tampa where the region expands from the downtown nexus and acknowledges the vitality of the neighborhoods under and around the expressway.
Technologically, we’re making some of our most important system upgrades to date,including:
- Replacing our Operational Back Office System (OBOS) with a more intuitive, modular, and intelligent platform that empowers users and improves real-time reporting.
- Expanding our Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and deploying an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) to improve responsiveness across our network.
- Strengthening our Wrong-Way Detection System
- Taking our Connected Vehicle (V2X) integration, which we’ve championed since leading the USDOT’s first CV Pilot Deployment in 2015, to the next level
All these efforts are rooted in security-first design and upgrades to safeguard operational and customer data.
Leadership Through Stewardship
Every dollar is backed by a commitment to public value, fiscal responsibility, and the return on investment experienced by our customers with every toll dollar entrusted to us. It’s why our Board of Directors unanimously approved the plan. As Vincent Cassidy, our Board Chair, noted, “These investments are rooted in fiscal discipline, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of what our community needs to thrive for generations to come.”
And that’s the guiding principle for us at THEA: to anticipate what’s next – and build it today.
Lessons for the Global Tolling Community
Tolling agencies around the world are facing unprecedented challenges, from rising customer expectations to the rapid pace of technological advancements and growing needs. What we’ve learned at THEA is that we can meet these challenges if we center our work around the people we serve. They are the lens through which we make our decisions, our neighbors, our community.
We hope our approach can serve as a roadmap or inspiration for other agencies in the IBTTA community. As a mid-sized tolling authority with an urban footprint, THEA continues to demonstrate how strategic reinvestment, nimble leadership, and a commitment to innovation can drive meaningful change.
Our work is far from finished—but this plan ensures that we’re not just responding to growth—we’re shaping it.