After more than four years of construction, commuters will soon be able to drive across the new Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, Fla. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will hold the grand opening at 10 a.m. March 24 with traffic scheduled to switch over Monday night to Tuesday.
The Howard Frankland Bridge, named after Tampa businessman Howard Frankland, opened in 1960 as a connector between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Initially carrying four lanes, it quickly became the most traveled of the bay area's bridges, leading to the construction of a parallel span in 1990 to accommodate increasing traffic.
In 2017, FDOT announced an $865 million project to replace the aging northbound span, aiming to reduce traffic congestion and enhance safety. Construction began in 2020, involving the installation of over 3,000 concrete piles to support 494 footings, 494 columns and 224 caps across 112 piers.
The new bridge features eight lanes: four general-use and four tolled express lanes, plus a separate pedestrian and bike path. Once opened, it will serve as the new Interstate 275 southbound lanes, while the existing southbound bridge will be converted to northbound lanes.
The project is expected to be completed in early 2026, culminating with the demolition of the original 1960s-era northbound bridge.
The bridge's design includes a higher elevation to minimize potential storm damage and wider concrete barriers to protect against saltwater corrosion, extending its expected lifespan to 100 years.
Source: Bizjournals.com, Fox 13 News
