Commuters celebrate with the opening of the new Howard Frankland, but little difference

For years, watching the water rise from the water, followed by cranes laying the huge concrete slabs that ultimately make up the road, and Tampa Bay commuters first travelled the new eight-lane Howard Frankland Bridge Tuesday morning.

However, some of the features that distinguish this new bridge from its predecessor are still a few months away. It’s already been one year that commuters will have the option of using four highway lanes (two in each direction) on new bridges or pedestrians and bike paths. Once completed, the pass is tied to the main roads and boasts four lookout spots. The light rails where the bridge is maintained could be decades away.

Therefore, on a sparkling March morning, some drivers felt overwhelmed during their first drive on the bridge. With Express Lanes closed, the new bridge is currently serving southbound drivers in the same four lanes as the previous version.

Christopher Morales, a paramedic at Largo, provided a brief review of Howard Frankland Bridge’s new span. He said he wants to see local investments in public transport, so he has more options to work.

Even those celebrating their first drive across the bridge have admitted that it is the same for now.

“I mean, it still took an hour, but at least it’s not that clustered,” Tampa content creator Brian Fink wrote on Facebook. “It would be amazing to see the Express Lane open!”

Local officials also focused on what the bridge is, not what it is now.

“Whether people use the bridge to connect to the Riverwalk or head to the beautiful St. Pete pier, this new span makes that journey a little easier,” Tampa Mayor Jane Custer said in a statement. “I’m also excited that (IT) is pedestrian, bike-friendly and ready for a potential game-changer that is the light rail of the future.”

Transit advocate Alan Petrillo previously told The Times that without local commitments, light rail space was merely a potential and not a concrete investment. But Whit Blanton, leader of county transport planning agency Forward Pinellas, said Express lanes, which charge drivers past traffic across the bay, could enable public transport in Cross Bay more than most people know.

Buses linking Hillsboro and Pinellas counties can use paid lanes for Express Bus Service. Pinellas Transit Agency plans to increase the frequency of crossbay buses at least every hour and add weekend services.

Blanton said he was particularly pleased when the pedestrian lanes open and would connect to the trail network on either side of the bay. His agency fought for its function, he said.

Throughout the first day of the new Howard Frankland, traffic proceeded with normal clips along the new span. The worst bottleneck occurred along the Westshore Interchange Interchange’s 275 and the downtown interchange between I-275 and Interstate 4.

Daily commuters told The Times that Howard Frankland Bridge was not their current frustration. They complained most about the exit just off the Hillsboro bridge that connects drivers to the Veterans Expressway, State Road 60, the West Shore Business District and Tampa International Airport.

Construction has expanded its replacement and began extending the paid Express Lane in Howard Frankland to its exit. But that doesn’t close for a few years.

Blanton says the state transport department is typically operated in a phased approach with both the new bridge and the West Shore Interchange Project, winning even Howard Frankland’s $865 million price tag. The department must spread out the necessary funds and construction workforce each year, he said.

The interchange “is not fixed at the opening of the bridge today,” Blanton said.