What Every Driver Should Know About the Selmon Expressway

The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway is Tampa's east-west toll highway, running about 14 miles from the Gandy Boulevard entrance in South Tampa through downtown to Brandon. For commuters who learn its rhythms, it can save half an hour on the worst Tampa traffic days. For everyone else, the elevated reversible lanes are baffling.

The Reversible Express Lanes

The most distinctive feature is the Reversible Express Lanes (REL) — a 6-mile elevated section above the main highway that flips direction twice a day. Westbound (toward downtown) in the morning rush; eastbound (toward Brandon) in the afternoon and evening. The REL opened in 2006 and was the first of its kind in Florida.

If you're driving the REL, you can't exit until the end of it. Plan accordingly.

Tolling is fully electronic

There are no toll booths. You either use a SunPass transponder or the system bills you by mail under TOLL-BY-PLATE — a more expensive option. If you don't have a transponder and you drive the Selmon often, the SunPass app (or any FDOT-affiliated retailer) will get you a Mini transponder for under $5; it pays for itself in two trips.

When to use it

The Selmon shines for trips that would otherwise involve I-275 through downtown or Kennedy Boulevard end-to-end. Westbound at 7 AM, eastbound at 5 PM, the REL is consistently the fastest path between the two ends of the city.

What it costs

Tolls vary by entry/exit pair and time of day. A typical full-length trip with SunPass runs around $1.75–$2.25 per direction; the REL adds about a dollar more. Toll-by-plate adds roughly 25%. Current rates are posted at tampa-xway.com.