Howard Frankland's new trail and express lanes open this week
After a nearly $1B rebuild, the Howard Frankland Bridge finally opens express lanes and a 7-mile pedestrian-bike path linking Tampa and St. Pete.
Something I've been watching for months finally happened this week. The Howard Frankland Bridge — the busiest bay crossing in the region — is opening its long-awaited tolled express lanes and a brand-new pedestrian and bike trail, wrapping up what became a nearly billion-dollar rebuild of one of Tampa Bay's most essential pieces of infrastructure.
If you drive I-275 between St. Pete and Tampa regularly, this is the news you've been waiting for.
What's actually opening
FDOT says the new express lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge could open as early as this week, weather permitting, marking the final major phase of the massive $973.4 million bridge project connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The bridge will have four general-use lanes and two express lanes on each side
— a significant capacity upgrade over the old configuration.
Drivers will need a SunPass or compatible transponder to use the express lanes. FDOT says the lanes will initially be toll-free, with tolls eventually expected to start around 50 cents per trip.
On the pedestrian side,
the new multi-use path will provide a nearly 7-mile-long pathway, separated from the roadway for pedestrians and cyclists, and there are also several lookout points with benches and shade.
According to WTSP,
the project includes a new 12-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle trail linking Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
The pedestrian path connects near 4th Street on the Pinellas side and Reo Street in Hillsborough —
the pedestrian path will connect near 4th Street in Pinellas County and Reo Street in Hillsborough County.
A project years in the making
This is the finish line on a rebuild that started with a very real problem:
the northbound span of the Howard Frankland — which opened in 1960 — had outlived its intended lifespan of 50 years.
Currently, 250,000 drivers cross the Howard Frankland Bridge daily, making it the most heavily traveled bridge connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg.
That kind of daily volume on a 60-year-old structure wasn't a long-term plan.
The new design promises a 100-year lifespan, using wider concrete barriers to impede saltwater from corroding the bridge's steel.
FDOT also designed
the upgraded structure to improve evacuation efficiency and resilience against extreme weather events
— something Tampa Bay residents care about deeply after recent hurricane seasons.
What the trail means for the region
I'll be honest — I'm more excited about the trail than the express lanes.
There has never been a dedicated, non-vehicle crossing linking Pinellas and Hillsborough for people on foot or on bikes. That changes this week.
The project introduces a dedicated shared-use path, enhancing non-motorized transport connectivity between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Think about what that means practically: cyclists who've been riding the Pinellas Trail have had no safe way to continue into Tampa. Runners and walkers who live near the bridge approaches now have a scenic, shaded route with bay views. And those
lookout points with benches and shade
suggest FDOT actually thought about the experience of being out there — not just moving cars faster.
It's a small but meaningful shift in how the two sides of the bay are connected.
The final stretch
Per FDOT,
the shared-use path will open to pedestrians on Wednesday, with crews working overnight Tuesday into Wednesday to finalize the express lanes, weather permitting.
The new express lanes heading into Tampa on the Howard Frankland Bridge have officially opened for the first time. FDOT says the southbound lanes into St. Pete will open over the next few nights, depending on rain.
So if you're reading this Wednesday morning and the skies cooperated overnight, go find the trailhead on the Pinellas side off 4th Street and take a look. It's not every week a new crossing of Tampa Bay opens for the first time.
What this means for buyers on both sides
For anyone watching the St. Pete to Tampa commute closely — and if you're shopping for a home in Pinellas, you probably are — this upgrade matters. Faster, more reliable throughput on I-275 is one more reason that neighborhoods within a reasonable drive of the bridge stay attractive to buyers who work in Tampa but want to live in St. Pete.
The trail piece may be even more interesting long-term. Walkable and bike-connected neighborhoods command real premiums in this market. Once residents figure out they can pedal from Old Northeast across the bay to Channelside, that's not a small thing for how people think about where to live.
If you're weighing Pinellas versus Hillsborough, I'm happy to walk through what this infrastructure moment means for specific neighborhoods. Reach out anytime.
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