TAMPA, Fla. — If you're behind the wheel in the Tampa Bay area, you're going to encounter construction. Those bright orange barrels and cones alongside the road may almost be as synonymous with Florida as the pink flamingo.
And with more and more people flocking to the Sunshine State, traffic in those construction areas continues to worsen.
But is there an end in sight for any of our area's biggest construction projects? From the new Interstate 275 bridge replacing the existing Howard Frankland to improving "malfunction junction" to connecting U.S. Highway 19 to I-275, there are quite a few ongoing, large-scale projects right here in the Tampa Bay area.
To get you up-to-date, we're taking a look at what the Florida Department of Transportation has to say about the progress of these projects.
Currently, the Howard Frankland Bridge is one of three bridges connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg across Old Tampa Bay. But the bridge is nearing the end of its natural lifespan after being open since 1959. That, coupled with the continued population boom in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, has necessitated building a new bridge.
Construction on the new bridge began in spring 2020. It's expected to open in late 2025. Right now, the cost is expected to be $865.3 million.
Once it's finished, the new I-275 bridge will have eight lanes:
- Four general-use lanes from Tampa to St. Petersburg
- Four express lanes — two from the St. Pete side to Tampa and two from the Tampa side to St. Pete
Additionally, a separate pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists will be built alongside the new bridge, presumably similar to at least part of the Courtney Campbell Causeway's pedestrian walkway.
As of January 2024, here's what FDOT leaders say has been accomplished:
- 100 percent of pilings have been driven
- 93 percent of bridge footings have been completed
- 91 percent of bridge columns have been completed
- 83 percent of bridge caps have been completed
- 57 percent of the bridge superstructure beams have been placed
- 59 percent of bridge decks placed
For more information on the project, click here.
It's been dubbed "malfunction junction" after years of traffic crashes, congestion and overall headaches for drivers — where I-275 meets with I-4 in downtown Tampa. The Downtown Tampa Interchange project is working to improve safety and operations of the roads through several initiatives.
The project started in May 2023 and is expected to be completed sometime in 2027. The cost of construction is listed as $223.5 million.
Southbound I-275 to eastbound I-4
- Providing a two-lane exit and constructing a new exit ramp bridge — to the inside of the interchange — from southbound 1-275 to eastbound I-4
- Changing the eastbound exit ramp from I-4 into Ybor City/East Tampa by relocating access at 14th/15th streets instead of 21st/22nd streets
- Widening the existing eastbound I-4 frontage road, 13th Avenue, to two lanes
Westbound I-4 to northbound I-275
- Widening the existing single-lane ramp from westbound I-4 to southbound I-275 to two lanes
- Adding an additional merge lane on northbound I-275 between I-4 and the Martin Luther King Jr. exit
Westbound I-4 to southbound I-275
- Widening the existing two-lane ramp from westbound I-4 to southbound I-275 to three lanes
- Widening the shoulders on southbound I-275 between Palm Avenue and Jefferson Street
- Shifting the exit ramp from southbound I-275 into downtown Tampa to the west of where it's currently aligned
For more information on the project, click here.
This project is working to build a direct connection for both U.S. 19 and I-275 as well as the Bayside Bridge, north of 49th Street N, and I-275.
FDOT set out to make those connections through two new tolled roadways — SR 690 and SR 686A. Additionally, I-275 in the area is being widened to make room for Express lanes. Also part of this project is roadway improvements such as rebuilding and repaving certain roads in Pinellas County.
The Gateway Expressway project started in August 2017 and is set to be completed sometime in spring 2024. The cost of construction is said to be $595.3 million.
SR 690: A new, four-lane tolled expressway to connect U.S. 19 to the west of I-275. The road is being built in the median of 118th Avenue North. Parts of the new road will be elevated over portions of 118th Avenue North, 49th Street North, 47th Street North, 43rd Street North, 34th Street North, the ramp at 31st Court North and 28th Street North.
SR 686A: A new, four-lane tolled expressway from the Bayside Bridge to just west of I-275. Most of the road is being built in the median of Roosevelt Boulevard and Ulmerton Road. Part of the project includes an interchange at Ulmerton Road. The new road will continue south through the old Sunshine Speedway until it merges with SR 690.
Express lanes: From south of Gandy Boulevard to 4th Street North, I-275 is being widened to create express toll lanes — one in each direction. The express lanes are set to be in the median next to the existing, non-tolled lanes of I-275.
More roadway improvements
- Rebuilding existing Roosevelt Boulevard from the Bayside Bridge to Ulmerton Road as two, one-way surface roads. This includes a new access configuration and roads for the St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) Airport terminal.
- Repaving 118th Avenue North from U.S. 19 to 31st Court North
- Repairing or rebuilding sections of existing U.S. 19 and 118th Avenue North, including new ramps and bridges
- Repaving the eastbound off-ramp from SR 690 to southbound I-275
- In front of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, a new airport access road parallel to Roosevelt Boulevard, new airport ponds, a new signal intersection at Terminal Boulevard and a permanent connection at Fairchild Drive will be built
For road closures and more information, click here.