The Howard Frankland Bridge is aging infrastructure that provides a vital link between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. FDOT is rebuilding the bridge and adding capacity to alleviate congestion.

The Howard Frankland Bridge is the central bridge spanning Old Tampa Bay from Clearwater/St. Petersburg to Tampa, Florida. It is one of three bridges connecting Pinellas County and Hillsborough County; the others being the Gandy Bridge and the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

The Howard Frankland Bridge is the most traveled of the Bay Area bridges; currently carrying an average of 139,000 vehicles per day across Tampa Bay. Given the importance of this connection, regional planning agencies such as the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) have developed multi-county transportation plans that prioritize replacement of the bridge.

Residents and visitors to Tampa Bay depend on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

This replacement project will:

• Replace the existing 1960 northbound bridge which is reaching the end of its service life
• Reinforce the new structure to accommodate the weight of various transit modes up to light rail
• Include one express lane in each direction, in addition to the four general purpose lanes