Northbound Howard Frankland Bridge Lanes To Close Tuesday Night

TAMPA, FL — Drivers traveling north on Interstate 275 toward the Howard Frankland Bridge will have to detour off the interstate using Gandy Boulevard (Exit 28) from 11 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, April 19.

This closure is necessary for crews to install overhead sign structures as part of the I-275 (Howard Frankland Bridge) new southbound bridge project between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Electronic message boards and temporary signage will assist northbound I-275 drivers traveling around this closure via the posted detour route of Roosevelt Boulevard, Gandy Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway.

Other roadways (Roosevelt Boulevard, Bayside Bridge, Courtney Campbell Causeway and Memorial Causeway) will remain accessible and may provide an alternate route if needed.

Drivers should add about 30 minutes of travel time due to traffic congestion and delays while traveling on these roadways during detour.

This 5.8-mile, $865.3 million design-build project will create a new southbound/westbound (from Tampa to St. Petersburg) interstate bridge over Old Tampa Bay between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Related:

• Roadwork On Howard Frankland Bridge Could Slow Down Drivers Headed To Airport
• FDOT Seeks Public Input on Howard Frankland Bridge Sail Design
• Long-Discussed Reconstruction Of Howard Frankland Gets Underway
• Monumental Moment: 1st Beam Of New Howard Frankland Bridge In Place

The new bridge is being built north of the current southbound/westbound (St. Petersburg to Tampa) interstate bridge and 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 and two lanes from the Tampa side toward St. Petersburg. A bicycle/pedestrian pathway separated from the roadway is also included.

The existing southbound/westbound (Tampa to St. Petersburg) bridge will be converted to a new northbound/eastbound I-275 (St. Petersburg to Tampa) bridge.

As of April:

• Approximately 85 percent of all piling have been driven.
• 381 of the 549 bridge footings have been completed.
• 360 of the 549 bridge columns have been completed.
• 129 of the 226 bridge caps have been completed.
• 433 of the bridge superstructure beams have been placed.
• 29 of the 113 bridge decks have been placed.

Once the new bridge is built and all traffic is moved to the final alignment, the existing northbound/eastbound (St. Petersburg to Tampa) bridge will be removed.

Construction began in the fall of 2020 and is expected to finish in late 2025.