Howard Frankland Bridge

The Howard Frankland Bridge is a highway crossing over Old Tampa Bay in Florida that links St. Petersburg with Tampa. It runs as part of Interstate 275 for about 5.8 miles (9.3 kilometers) and carries traffic between Pinellas County and Hillsborough County.

The bridge opened in 1960 with four lanes and gained a second parallel structure in 1990 to handle growing traffic volumes. A new replacement span has been under construction since 2020 and is scheduled to finish in early 2026.

The structure represents a critical transportation link in Florida, named after a Tampa businessman who contributed to regional infrastructure development.

The bridge replacement under construction will include eight lanes and a separate path for cyclists and pedestrians. During the work, the existing bridge remains open to traffic so crossing the bay continues without major disruption.

Howard Frankland was a Tampa businessman who actively promoted building this connection across the bay. Once the new bridge opens, the current southbound span will be repurposed to carry northbound traffic instead.

Location: Florida

Inception: 1960

Official opening: 1960

GPS coordinates: 27.92793,-82.58755

Latest update: December 20, 2025 02:09