April 2020
Archer Western and Traylor Bros. to replace Howard Frankland Bridge, will be largest bridge ever built in Florida
TAMPA, FL – Archer Western Construction is leading a joint venture with Traylor Bros. Inc. to replace the northbound I-275 Howard Frankland Bridge connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla. over Old Tampa Bay. The Florida Department of Transportation project will ultimately be the largest bridge ever constructed in Florida.
The new three-mile bridge will be built to the north of the current southbound interstate bridge. With BCC Engineering as the lead engineer, the project design will feature four southbound general purpose lanes, two southbound express lanes, two northbound express lanes, as well as a shared use path and accommodations for transportation via light rail system.
(Photo credit: Aerial Innovations)
The existing southbound bridge will be converted to the new northbound I-275. When complete, the current northbound bridge will be removed. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2020 with completion in 2026.
The newly built connection will add capacity and mobility to account for future growth of the Tampa/St. Pete region and will allow for improved emergency management scenarios and hurricane evacuations.
Archer Western, part of The Walsh Group, is the largest bridge builder in the United States, according to Engineering News-Record. The company has a vast portfolio of highway and bridge construction with the Florida Department of Transportation, including current work on the I-395/I-95 Signature Bridge in Miami, Fuller Warren Bridge in Jacksonville, Gateway Expressway in Clearwater and I-95 Express Lanes Phase 3C in Fort Lauderdale.
Traylor Bros., Inc. is an organization that specializes in the construction of complex bridge, underground, and marine projects. As the prime contractor for the 1992 Howard Frankland Bridge expansion, the company is uniquely well suited to this project. Traylor has collaborated with the Florida Department of Transportation on numerous other projects as well, including the Vilano Beach Bridge in St. Johns County, the Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville and the 17th Street Causeway in Fort Lauderdale.