TAMPA, Fla. – If you have plans to drive from Tampa to St. Petersburg late Tuesday night, you will need to find another way across the bay.
All southbound lanes on I-275 approaching the Howard Frankland Bridge will close overnight starting at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13. The interstate is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14, providing weather conditions hold up.
Crews need the lanes clear to finish installing large overhead signs, a key step in the ongoing project to construct the new southbound span connecting Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
READ: Hillsborough County Traffic Alert: Nighttime Closures Hit I-75, Howard Frankland Bridge Jan. 11-17
The Detour
Drivers heading south will be forced to exit the interstate at State Road 60 (Exit 39). Electronic message boards and temporary signs will guide traffic along the official detour route:
- Memorial Highway (SR 60)
- Courtney Campbell Causeway (SR 60)
- Bayside Bridge (CR 611)
- Roosevelt Boulevard (SR 686)
While Kennedy Boulevard, Dale Mabry Highway, and Gandy Boulevard remain open and can serve as alternates, officials warn that the detour route will likely see heavy congestion. Drivers should plan for significant delays and add extra time to their commute if they must travel during these hours.
The closure only affects those leaving Tampa; northbound traffic heading from St. Petersburg into Tampa will remain open and unaffected.
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