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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Crews are making progress on the new Howard Frankland Bridge. Project leaders say drivers can expect to see major milestones completed in 2024.
The $864 million project is the Florida Department of Transportation’s largest in the Tampa Bay area.
“The scope of this is the biggest job that we have in Tampa,” resident engineer Greg Deese said. “We have 30 cranes, 60 barges, it’s really visible and it’s very fun to watch because it doesn’t affect traffic. As you drive by it you can just enjoy the scenery and progress.”
According to Deese, workers just finished placing more than 3,000 piles, the main pieces of the bridge’s foundation.
“The new structure is going to carry eight lanes of traffic, four lanes going southbound to replace the existing bridge and then two lanes in each direction for express lanes so it will be double the capacity,” Deese said.
The next work for crews is placing concrete decks and beams on both sides of the bridge.
Improvements on the new road include a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists and the ability to accommodate a light rail.
“This bridge is anticipated to have a service life of 100 years.
In that time, a lot can change in transportation. The department wanted to be prepared in case there was an initiative for rail in the future that we’ll have a way to accommodate, Deese said.
Traffic is expected on the new bridge by the end of 2024.
