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Southbound lanes of Howard Frankland Bridge reopen

Howard Frankland WFTS.png
Posted at 11:26 AM, Aug 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-16 07:55:35-04

TAMPA, Fla. — All southbound travel lanes of I-275 on the Howard Frankland Bridge from Tampa to St. Petersburg are back open after they were closed Monday night at 11 p.m. for construction work.

Construction crews closed the lanes to install overhead signs as part of the Gateway Expressway project.

Kris Carson with the Florida Department of Transportation said this might not be the only lane closure as the project continues.

"With building a brand new bridge and also with the Gateway project there's a lot going on so we will definitely continue to have lane closures but anything major we will let the public know way in advance," Carson said.

RELATED: USF grad leading construction of new Howard Frankland Bridge

The Gateway Expressway project is expected to be completed in 2023.

It's a project not to be confused with the construction happening alongside the Howard Frankland Bridge. The FDOT engineer leading that 800 million dollar bridge project, Conrad Campbell, told ABC Action News that it would expand the bridge from four lanes on each side to six lanes.

“It’s well over 150 feet wide. It’s going to carry a lot of traffic. So, the sheer size of it. The amount of concrete. The amount of steel that goes into it is unique," he said.

He said that one of the biggest goals of the project is to make traffic smoother.

“I live in Tampa. I grew up in Tampa. I have a lot of friends who are here, so they ask questions about it too. So things are going to be better, and I’m happy to be able to say that," he said.

The Howard Frankland Bridge project will wrap up in 2025.