If you drive SR 60 — also known as Brandon Boulevard and, further east, Hopewell Road — through Brandon and Valrico, you've probably noticed the orange cones and construction crews. Multiple Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) projects are in various stages along this critical east-west corridor, and they're going to affect your drive for a while.

Here's what's happening and what to expect.

Active Project: SR 60 Resurfacing

FDOT has an active resurfacing project on SR 60 (East Brandon Boulevard) running from east of Lithia Pinecrest Road to west of Valrico Road. This project involves milling and repaving the existing road surface to address wear and improve driving conditions.

Resurfacing projects are generally the least disruptive type of road construction — you'll see lane closures and reduced speeds in work zones, mostly during off-peak hours. But on a road as busy as SR 60, even minor disruptions ripple through traffic patterns.

What to expect: Temporary lane closures, mostly during nighttime hours. Some daytime work for lane markings and finishing. Rough road surfaces in transition zones between old and new pavement.

Planned Project: SR 60 Widening (Valrico Road to Dover Road)

The bigger project on the horizon is the planned widening of SR 60 from Valrico Road east to Dover Road. This project will transform the road into a six-lane divided roadway with a buffered bike lane.

Additional improvements include:

• Sidewalks where they don't currently exist
• Improved drainage — critical given the flooding concerns after Hurricane Milton
• Updated traffic signals and turn lanes

This widening project is further out on the timeline but represents a significant investment in eastern Hillsborough County's infrastructure. The stretch between Valrico Road and Dover Road is one of the most congested rural-to-suburban transitions in the county, and the current four-lane configuration can't handle the traffic growth from new development in the area.

Other Intersection Projects

FDOT and Hillsborough County have completed or have underway several intersection improvement projects that affect the SR 60 corridor:

• Lumsden Road and Valrico Road intersection redesign — a project aimed at improving safety at this historically problematic intersection
• North Valrico Road and Sydney Road intersection improvement in Brandon — designed to increase capacity and safety

These intersection projects address specific pinch points that cause backups and accidents. They're the kind of unglamorous infrastructure work that doesn't make headlines but makes a real difference in daily driving.

Tips for Navigating Construction

Check FDOT before you drive. The FDOT Tampa Bay website (fdottampabay.com) maintains a project-by-project database with current status, lane closure schedules, and estimated completion dates.

Know your alternates. If SR 60 is backed up:

• Bloomingdale Avenue runs roughly parallel to the south and can serve as an east-west alternate
• Lumsden Road is another east-west option north of SR 60
• Lithia Pinecrest Road provides north-south connectivity if you need to bypass a specific construction zone

Allow extra time. This is the boring-but-true advice. Construction zones slow traffic, and on SR 60, even a five-minute delay can cascade during peak hours.

The Bigger Picture

These road projects are a direct response to the growth that eastern Hillsborough County has experienced over the past decade. More homes in Valrico, FishHawk, Riverview, and the communities east of I-75 mean more cars on roads that were designed for a smaller population.

The investment in SR 60 is long overdue. When the widening project is eventually complete, it will provide meaningful relief for east-west commuters. In the meantime, patience and alternate routes are your best friends.

For project updates, visit fdottampabay.com or the Hillsborough County Public Works page at hcfl.gov.