ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After two years of closure, drivers headed south on the Howard Frankland Bridge can now use the exit ramp onto 4th Street.
Exit 32 has been under construction since January 2022 because of two projects: the 4th Street Bridge replacement and the Gateway Expressway.
The completion of work on the 4th Street Bridge allowed for the exit to open. Changes to the popular interchange that connects State Road 687 and Interstate 275 include a wider shoulder and better paths for pedestrians and bike riders.
Crews on the Gateway Expressway project are building two new roadways that will directly connect both U.S. Highway 19 and the Bayside Bridge to Interstate 275, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Those two plans come at the same time as the construction of a new Howard Frankland Bridge. The 4th Street exit ramp marks the point where that project and the Gateway Expressway meet.
FDOT said the north and southbound lanes between 4th Street and I-275 are now fully operational.
For more on the status of Tampa Bay's biggest road improvement projects, click here.