The new southbound span of the Howard Frankland Bridge along Interstate 275 South is finally open for drivers. It’s part of the most expensive bridge project in Florida history.
Drivers leaving Tampa towards Pinellas County make a slight shift to the right on the Howard Frankland Bridge to enter the new span.
David Alonzo is the Construction Project Manager with the Florida Department of Transportation and says to expect some lane closures leading up to the shift.
“It’s gonna be pretty seamless to get on the new bridge, because there’s not really I mean, you’re just changing the alignment slightly on the Hillsborough side. And that shift will be there basically permanently, until the future Westshore project starts configuring things in that area.”
Historian with the Tampa Bay History Center, Rodney Kite Powell, says the new span will also include a major pedestrian and bicycle connection between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
“This is part of the new lanes, and it’s really neat and it looks pretty darn safe. It’s slightly lower than the road bed. So you don’t have the feeling of the cars and there’s a very strong concrete wall but it’s a great connection.”
The Howard Frankland Bridge expansion cost $864 million expansion. The current southbound lanes are being expanded and will open to northbound traffic this summer. Express lanes are expected to open next year.
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