New span of Howard Frankland Bridge opens to traffic
The Brief
The new southbound span of the Howard Frankland Bridge is officially open to traffic.
The $865 million project was announced in 2017, with work beginning in 2020.
FDOT says express lanes, along with a separate pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists, will open in 2026.
TAMPA, Fla. - After several years of construction, the new span of the Howard Frankland Bridge officially opened to traffic in time for the Tuesday morning commute.
The backstory
The bridge is part of I-275, providing a critical link for hundreds of thousands of drivers between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The original bridge opened in 1960, with a second span opening in 1990 to expand capacity.
In 2017, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced the $865 million project to replace the aging original bridge with a new one. Construction began in 2020.
By the numbers
The new bridge carries four lanes of southbound traffic. It will also feature four express lanes – two in each direction – which FDOT says will open next year.
"This is one of the busiest, if not the busiest, corridors in Tampa Bay. Approximately 200,000 people use this bridge every day, which is more than all the other Tampa Bay bridges combined. That's the Courtney Campbell, the Gandy and the Skyway," said David Alfonso, a project manager with FDOT. "In early 2026, when fully operational – and that's when the express lanes come online – it will increase capacity by 50%."
A separate pathway for bicyclists and pedestrians is also under construction.
What's next
Northbound traffic will remain in the same lanes until this summer, according to FDOT, at which point northbound traffic will shift to the former southbound span of the bridge.
FDOT says the current northbound bridge, which is nearing the end of its natural lifespan, will be demolished piece by piece, with the project expected to be completed in 2026.
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The Source
This story was written with information from the Florida Department of Transportation and previous FOX 13 News reports.
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