The City of Tampa has released detailed information about the planned expansion of the West Riverwalk, outlining improvements across six segments designed to enhance pedestrian and cyclist access along key corridors.
Segment 1 will connect Bayshore Boulevard to the Arabelle Riverwalk Apartments, featuring two new pedestrian underpass bridges beneath Platt and Brorein Streets. A multi-use trail and “Dark Skies” friendly lighting are included in this section, which also links Tony Jannus Park.
Segment 2 will establish a 1.5-mile continuous trail from Plant Park to the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex at Rome Avenue. This route passes several notable locations such as the University of Tampa, Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa Preparatory School, Blake High School, Stewart Middle Magnet School, and future developments like Rome Yard. Planned features include a widened trail with brick banding, benches, new trees, living shoreline elements with habitat panels, public overlooks at key viewsheds along the trail, sidewalk connections under I-275 via West Green Street, native landscaping and “Dark Skies” friendly lighting.
Segment 3 focuses on approximately 1.1 miles of improvements along Platt Street from South Rome Avenue east to Bayshore Boulevard. The upgrades will provide resurfaced pavement throughout the corridor; new sidewalks; a separated one-way protected cycle track; protected intersections for cyclists and pedestrians at Platt Street and Bayshore Boulevard; high-emphasis crosswalks with beacons; curb extensions; refuge islands; green pavement markings for safety; marked parallel parking; ADA enhancements; and preservation or reuse of historic granite curbing.
Segment 4 covers around 1.3 miles on Rome Avenue from West Platt Street north to West Columbus Drive. This segment includes resurfacing existing pavement, full-depth roadway reconstruction between Green Street and W. Main Street (including intersections), installation of new bicycle lanes with protected cycle tracks in some sections, improved sidewalks and crosswalks with safety features such as beacons and curb extensions, added canopy trees throughout the corridor, marked parallel parking spaces, improved access management measures for vehicles entering or exiting properties along the roadways as well as ADA enhancements.
For Segment 5—Columbus: Rome to N. Boulevard—a short stretch of complete street improvements is planned along Columbus Drive from North Rome Avenue to North Boulevard in coordination with Hillsborough County’s future resurfacing project (CIP #: 69691105). Upgrades include a protected two-way cycle track alongside a shared-use path on the south side of Columbus Drive bridge near Rome Avenue plus enhanced crosswalks at North Riverside Drive’s south leg.
Finally, Segment 6 introduces about 0.4 miles of bicycle boulevard features within Ridgewood Park neighborhood stretching from West Columbus Drive down Glenwood Dr., including shared lane markings with bollards on N Glenwood Dr., a multi-use concrete trail connecting North Boulevard to existing Riverwalk infrastructure via W. 7th Ave., an additional multi-use trail on Ross Avenue’s south side plus ADA-compliant enhancements and “Dark Skies” lighting for nighttime use.
For more details about Hillsborough County’s related projects residents can contact Hillsborough County directly at (813) 635-5400.
