New I-275 express lanes and shared-use path open on Howard Frankland Bridge

Motorists now recognize a sooner technique to droop between St. Pete and Tampa.

Within the early morning hours of Wednesday, May presumably well 27th, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) opened the brand new northbound I-275 verbalize lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge, alongside with a brand new pedestrian and bicycle plug.

The verbalize lanes and plug are necessary parts of the $972.5 million bridge change and enchancment venture, which started in 2020.

The new verbalize lanes lengthen from 4th Road North in St. Petersburg to precise north of the bridge in Tampa.

Running in the median of I-275, the lanes are separated from favorite online page visitors by barrier walls and versatile delineator poles.

FDOT contractors are expected to begin the southbound verbalize lanes over the next rather a lot of nights, weather permitting.

The verbalize lanes are currently toll-free all around the ongoing testing segment. As soon as testing is entire, tolls can be quiet electronically 24/7 by SunPass or other Florida-smartly matched transponders. Cash and TOLL-BY-PLATE will no longer be permitted.

Alongside the brand new lanes, FDOT additionally opened a 12-foot-wide, barrier-separated shared-employ direction for pedestrians and cyclists alongside the north side of the brand new Howard Frankland Bridge.

The nearly seven-mile plug involves four shadowy overlooks with wing-impressed canopies where users can pause and absorb views of Tampa Bay.

The direction is delivery day-to-day from morning time to sunset, with fetch entry to aspects on the north dwell of 4th Road North in St. Petersburg and the south dwell of Reo Road in Tampa.

FDOT is additionally working to abolish better fetch entry to to the plug by rather a lot of energetic construction initiatives. One of the most supreme is a brand new shared-employ direction alongside the west side of 4th Road North from Gandy Boulevard to I-275 in St. Pete.

Separated from vehicular online page visitors, the plug is designed to accommodate both pedestrians and bicyclists whereas making improvements to safety and though-provoking that it is possible you’ll presumably factor in decisions to driving.

FDOT says the venture will encourage decrease congestion and improve extra linked, walkable communities.

Development is predicted to be performed in slack 2026.

Extra future connections from Ulmerton Road in St. Petersburg and Reo Road in Tampa are additionally under construction as section of separate initiatives.

The outlet of the brand new verbalize lanes and shared-employ direction marks one other necessary milestone in the multi-year Howard Frankland Bridge venture.

Steady over a year previously, FDOT opened the brand new southbound I-275 bridge to online page visitors.

The venture is being led by Archer Western Development, section of the Chicago-basically based mostly Walsh Community, in partnership with Traylor Bros. Inc.

FDOT is reminding motorists to unimaginative down, observe posted tempo limits, and remain alert for construction crews and vehicles, because the space remains an brisk work zone.