Construction will begin shortly on a $400m elevated interchange in the US city of Tampa, Florida, to link its two major highways, the Interstate 4 and the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway.

The one-mile long I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector will have a series of interconnecting lane ramps that merge into a 12-lane roadway and is expected to reduce congestion on the downtown interchange and through nearby Ybor City.

The connector will be one of the first roads in the country to feature dedicated truck lanes and will also serve as a hurricane evacuation route and feature a gantry design for electronic toll collection.

The project, expected to finish in 2013, is being undertaken by the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, and the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority and is supported by nearly $100m from the highways recovery Act.