Page Five:  Floribraska Avenue (Exit 46A) and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (Exit 46B)

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Introduction

Interstate 275 Southbound at Exit 46A

Perspective of Interstate 275 at Exit 46A

Interstate 275 Northbound at Exit 46B

Interstate 275 Southbound at Exit 46B

Perspective of Interstate 275 at Exit 46B

 

Introduction

Just past the Interstate 4 interchange northbound on Interstate 275 are the exits for Floribraska Avenue (Exit 46A) and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (Exit 46B).  The segment beginning at Floribraska Avenue is part of an original segment of Interstate 75 built in 1966 to close the gap between Interstate 4 and Bearss Avenue.  The interchange at Floribraska Avenue is a northbound entry and southbound exit partial interchange like 28 St S (Exit 21) in St. Petersburg, while the interchange at Martin Luther King Jr Blvd is a full service interchange.

Floribraska Avenue is a local side street connecting Nebraska Avenue (FL 45) to the east and Florida Avenue (Business US 41) to the west, hence the name of this street being a portmanteau of the words Florida and Nebraska.  Martin Luther King Jr Blvd was originally named Buffalo Avenue; it was renamed Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in honor of the civil rights leader.  Like its counterpart in St. Petersburg on 9 St N the renaming came with a little controversy that probably goes with the territory when streets are renamed.

For motorists headed to Tampa Bay Buccaneers games southbound Interstate 275 travelers can reach Raymond James Stadium by exiting at Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and proceeding west to Himes Avenue or Dale Mabry Highway and avoid the congestion ahead southbound at the Interstate 4 interchange.

Interstate 275 Southbound at Exit 46A

	Advance signage for Floribraska Avenue Notice the older sign gantry it is installed on compared to the newer sign gantry just south of where this photo was taken.
	Final opportunity for Floribraska Avenue Notice the newer sign gantry which was installed as part of the Interstate 275/Interstate 4 interchange reconstruction project. Also notice the signage for both Interstate 4 east (Exit 45B) and Downtown Tampa (Exit 45A) and the dedicated exit lanes for each exit.

Perspective of Interstate 275 at Exit 46A

	Interstate 275 crossing Floribraska Avenue This is looking east on Floribraska Avenue at street level. Notice the signage for Interstate 275 north to Ocala (via Interstate 75, of course). Also notice the original 1966 overpass piers in the background and the new piers built to match the original 1966 construction as the on ramp from southbound Interstate 275 to eastbound Interstate 4 was being lengthened.
	Entrance ramp to Interstate 275 north This is coming from Floribraska Avenue. The side street that branches off to the right is North Taliaferro Avenue, which basically coexists side by side with Interstate 275 for its trek through northern Tampa.
	Business US 41 at Floribraska Avenue This is looking north on Business US 41, also known as Florida Avenue. Before Interstate 275 was connected from Bearss Avenue to Interstate 4, you had to use either Business US 41 (Florida Avenue) or US 41 (Nebraska Avenue).
	Lake Avenue overcrossing at Interstate 275 Located between Floribraska Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Lake Avenue is a local side street in Tampa's Robles Park neighborhood. This picture is looking east.
	Columbus Drive overcrossing at Interstate 275 Located between Floribraska Avenue and Interstate 4, Columbus Drive is a major thoroughfare connecting Dale Mabry Highway at Spruce Street with the eastern part of Tampa. This picture is looking west on Columbus Drive where you can see the new and existing overcrossings that carry the Interstate 275 mainline and the Interstate 4 ramps.
	Columbus Drive overcrossing at Interstate 275 II Taken from a side street parallel with Interstate 275, this picture shows you the many overpasses as Interstate 275 meets Interstate 4. The overcrossing to the right is the ramp for Interstate 4 east from Interstate 275 south while the overcrossing to the left is the Interstate 275 mainline and the ramp from Interstate 4 west. Just north of here is where this segment was built in 1964 and where the 1966 segment begins.

Interstate 275 Northbound at Exit 46B

	Advance signage for Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Hillsborough Avenue and Sligh Avenue This distance sign was erected on the same gantry that carries signage for Interstate 4 and Downtown Tampa (Exits 45B and 45A respectively) on southbound Interstate 275. However, the Florida DOT took this sign down and replaced it with a variable message sign and a fixed sign for Exit 46B.
	Variable and fixed signage The left is a variable message sign which shows travel times to various exits and any important messages, while the right is a fixed sign which reminds motorists that Martin Luther King Jr Blvd is coming up in 1/2 mile and that the right lane will default into Exit 46B.
	More advance signage for Martin Luther King Jr Blvd just around the corner Again notice the dedicated exit only lane; the right lane will default into Exit 46B shortly.
	Final opportunity for the Martin Luther King Jr Blvd exit Notice the advance signage for US 92/Hillsborough Avenue (Exits 47A and 47B) as it is the next exit on northbound Interstate 275. At least the signage is much better than the older signage (installed on the original 1966 gantry) when it had the generic "Thru Traffic" signage.

Interstate 275 Southbound at Exit 46B

 

	Advance signage for Martin Luther King Jr Blvd coming up in 1/2 mile Notice that the sign is ground mounted rather than overhead gantry mounted as is the case with most signage on Interstate 275. At least it's large enough and readable!
	Headed to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers or a New York Yankees spring training game? You will want to use Exit 46B and head west on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd to Dale Mabry Highway. Raymond James Stadium (where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play) is on your left just before Dale Mabry, while George Steinbrenner Field (where the New York Yankees have their spring training games) is on your left after Dale Mabry. Be sure to follow signs to parking on game days.
	Final opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr Blvd on Interstate 275 southbound Notice the signage for Floribraska Avenue (Exit 46A) as it is the next exit. The signage to the far left is well done - at least motorists are being shown the way to Tampa International Airport as well as St. Petersburg.

Perspective of Interstate 275 at Exit 46B

 

	Martin Luther King Jr Blvd at Interstate 275 This is looking eastbound as Martin Luther King Jr Blvd goes under Interstate 275. Notice the signage for Interstate 275 north to Ocala (via Interstate 75, of course!).
	Martin Luther King Jr Blvd at Interstate 275 II This is looking westbound as Martin Luther King Jr Blvd goes under Interstate 275. Notice the signage for Interstate 275 south to St. Petersburg.
	Side view of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd at Interstate 275 Notice the original 1966 construction as evidenced by the overpass piers. The bridge railings were replaced not too long ago.