PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Howard Frankland Bridge will be closed starting Monday night for construction.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced that the bridge will be closed to all southbound traffic on I-275 starting at 11 p.m. on Feb. 6 to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
No vehicles will be permitted to enter the southbound portion of I-275 west of Exit 39 to Exit 31.
The following detours will be offered to commuters:
- Southbound / westbound I-275: All traffic will be directed off at Exit 39, go west on SR 60/Memorial Highway and across Old Tampa Bay on the Courtney Campbell Causeway (SR 60). Once in Clearwater, traffic will turn left from SR 60 and go south on the Bayside Bridge (CR 611), then south on Roosevelt Boulevard (SR 686) to rejoin southbound I-275.
- Memorial Hwy/Veterans Expressway/Tampa International Airport area: Go west on SR 60/Memorial Highway and across Old Tampa Bay on the Courtney Campbell Causeway (SR 60). Once in Clearwater, traffic will turn left from SR 60 and go south on the Bayside Bridge (CR 611), then south on Roosevelt Boulevard (SR 686) to southbound I-275.
- Kennedy Blvd. area and traffic on Memorial Blvd. (SR 60) south of the Courtney Campbell Causeway: Go east on Kennedy Blvd., then turn right and go south on Dale Mabry Highway, then turn right and go west on Gandy Blvd. (US Highway 92) across Old Tampa Bay to I-275.
FDOT said that drivers should plan for extra travel time due to the detours and possible delays.
The closure will allow for sign structures to be installed across all lanes of southbound I-275, part of the $595 million Gateway Express project.
Northbound I-275 will stay open across the Howard Frankland Bridge during this time.
