Howard Frankland Bridge Northbound Lanes To Close Tuesday Night

Northbound lanes of I-275 on the Howard Frankland Bridge will shut down from 11 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, until 5 a.m. March 11. Weather could change this. Workers will install overhead signs for the new southbound I-275 Howard Frankland Bridge project connecting Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.

According to Fox13News.com, drivers heading north must exit before the bridge. The Florida Highway Patrol requires motorists to leave at Gandy Boulevard, Exit 28.

Several paths remain open. Roosevelt Boulevard offers one option. Bayside Bridge works too. Courtney Campbell Causeway provides another way across, as does Memorial Highway. FDOT warns drivers to budget extra time because traffic jams might clog these roads.

This closure ties into an $865 million project that started in 2017. The goal is to cut down traffic jams. FDOT broke ground on the replacement bridge in 2020.

The new bridge will carry southbound I-275 traffic when finished. What about the current southbound bridge from the 1990s? It'll flip to handle northbound vehicles instead.

The first Howard Frankland Bridge went up during the 1960s. It links Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties across Tampa Bay.

Workers expect to wrap up later this year. This sign installation marks one of the last major tasks in a construction process that's stretched across several years.

Officials urge drivers to map out trips beforehand. Delays will hit alternate routes during the closure. Crews picked overnight hours to avoid disrupting rush-hour commuters.