Big changes came to Interstate 275 in Hillsborough County on Tuesday morning — and along with them came big traffic headaches.

At 5:30 a.m., the barricades were moved and traffic was allowed to drive on new northbound lanes betwee Lois Avenue and Himes Avenue.

The lane shift after Dale Mabry Highway was gone, and drivers didn't have to navigate the canyon of temporary lanes between the new lane construction.

But that's where the good news ended.

Traffic started to slow through the work zone right away. By 7:30 a.m., northbound I-275 traffic was backed up to Fourth Street North in St. Petersburg, and drivers on the southbound Veterans Expressway were sitting in delays for an hour before arriving at I-275.

According to Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson John McShaffrey, several factors contributed to Tuesday's backups:

  1. The first morning of a new traffic pattern.
  2. Two of the new lanes are slightly more narrow than a standard traffic lane.
  3. The merge lanes from Dale Mabry Highway and Himes Avenue are in a new configuration.
  4. The contractor started demolition on the old temporary lanes right away, creating a sight obstruction for traffic.

FDOT expects the delays to lessen as drivers become adjusted to the new temporary configuration. This phase of construction will last approximately six to eight weeks.

The overall I-275 reconstruction project is about six months ahead of schedule. It should be complete by this summer.