Howard Frankland Bridge project on schedule for 2025 completion, FDOT says

TAMPA, Fla. - There’s a lot more action off the side of the Howard Frankland Bridge in 2022, with construction crews using up to 20 cranes and 66 barges for a new 8-lane bridge replacement project, FDOT said.

"We’re working on foundations for the bridge on both the Hillsborough and the Pinellas side and working toward the middle of the bridge. So you’ll see a lot of the foundation is already complete," said Greg Deese, FDOT’s resident engineer.

Deese said workers get to their stations by ferry, and they’ve had their share of challenges so far, such as last week’s colder weather.

"Actually we had to move some barges for safety reasons because of the high winds," said Deese. "You may have a sunny day, and the wind keeps the contractor from working. So it may look like they’re not progressing, but those things do impact our jobs where we may not have that impact on other roadway projects."

Construction started in late 2020, which means navigating pandemic-related curve balls. Deese shared how FDOT handled potential supply chain issues.

"It’s pretty normal. Obviously getting workers or even truck drivers is a challenge, but they’re still overcoming that," said Deese. "We haven’t seen any real big impacts in the sense of getting concrete or steel, and the contractor continues to move really well."

The project remains on schedule to finish in 2025. Over the past six months, drivers saw about 41% of pilings go in. Now footings, columns and piers that make up bigger support structures above the water are going in, so the bridge will take shape soon in the next few months.

"They’ll begin to place beams, and then on top of that they’ll place a deck which will become the riding surface of the bridge," said Deese. "You’ll begin to see that probably late this spring, early this summer of an actual bridge structure being built from either side of the bay."

Deese said FDOT expects the new bridge to last about 100 years, about double the life span of the current northbound bridge that will be demolished. He said concrete mixtures are much better now to help resist salt water corrosion.