Howard Frankland Bridge Construction Hit A Major Milestone
The Howard Frankland Bridge hit a major milestone as the completion of the new bridge is getting closer. The final beam was placed on the new Howard Frankland Bridge. Also the Florida Department of Transportation said that drivers will be able drive over the bridge starting in early 2026.
The new bridge will consist of eight lanes; four general-use lanes, (Tampa to St. Petersburg) and four Express lanes. Two lanes from the St. Petersburg side toward Tampa, two lanes from the Tampa side toward St. Petersburg. In addition, a bicycle/pedestrian pathway separated from the roadway will is also included.
Updated Timeline On New Howard Frankland Bridge
As of December 5 2024:
- 100% of pilings have been driven.
- 100% of bridge footings have been completed.
- 100% of bridge columns have been completed.
- 100% of bridge caps have been completed.
- 100% of the bridge superstructure beams have been placed.
- 92.9% of bridge decks placed
There are about 275 workers on the job which costs about $865.3 million. Each bridge is said to have a service life of up to 80 years. The Howard Frankland Bridge was constructed in 1959, making it 65 years old.
How Many Lanes Will There Be
More information is coming out about the new bridges that are being built. The new bridge will have a total of eight lanes, four general-purpose lanes, and four tolled express lanes. Two express lanes will travel from St. Petersburg to Tampa and the other two will run from the Tampa side toward St. Petersburg. The new bridge design will also include a bicycle/pedestrian trail that will connect Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
Once the new bridge is built, southbound traffic will move to the new bridge and northbound traffic will move to the existing southbound lanes. The original northbound bridge will then be removed.
