If you’ve made the trip from Tampa to St. Pete or vice versa, I’m sure you’ve wondered what the heck is happening with the Howard Frankland. The Florida Department of Transportation has been working hard to bring 4 new southbound lanes of I-275 into Pinellas. Bay News 9 recently reported that the construction for the Howard Frankland is actually ahead of schedule. It’s even reported that we may be driving on the new bridge by late 2024. The original completion date was going to be in 2025.
Not only will the bridge have 4 new southbound lanes, it will also have a few other new features. The new bridge will also have 2 express lanes to help with traffic flow and a multi-use pedestrian path. The current southbound bridge will be switched to northbound. The FDOT is even thinking ahead and is including plans for any future trains that might be built. Many people are skeptical that this will help with traffic, especially because of all the Northern transplants. We think the express lanes will make a huge difference!
The bridge is expected to have 153 panels built before the road path is added. Barring any major storms this year, the FDOT is ahead of schedule.
Here’s what we can expect the new Howard Frankland bridge to look like, and how the current construction is going.
[Source: Bay News 9/Florida Department of Transportation]