January 2022
Construction team surpasses 1,000 piles installed at Howard Frankland Bridge
Tampa, FL - The joint venture of Archer Western Construction and Traylor Bros., Inc. continues progress on the Howard Frankland Bridge spanning across Old Tampa Bay. The construction team has now driven over 1,000 piles for the three-mile-long-bridge. According to FDOT officials in late December 2021, the following quantities have been achieved on the project as well:
- 85 of the 549 bridge footings have been completed.
- 55 of the 549 bridge columns have been completed.
- 18 of the 226 bridge pier caps have been completed.
- Beam placement will start late spring 2022, followed by deck construction in early summer 2022.
- Approximately 80% of the sheet pilings for the new seawalls for the widened causeways along both sides of the bridge have been driven.
The new three-mile bridge is being constructed to the north of the current southbound interstate bridge. With BCC Engineering as the lead engineer, the bridge design features 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.
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.
