ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Construction on the new Howard Frankland Bridge is moving along, so much so that media was allowed a close look — and drive — at the massive project on Thursday.

It will eventually be the new span of Interstate 275 that will connect drivers from Tampa to St. Petersburg.

"I’m so excited. It’s so cool to be on the new bridge already," said Project Manager David Alonso.

Construction has taken place since April 2020, and the finish line is now in sight.

"Pretty soon, we can tie the bridge together at the end of the year," Alonso said.

Crews have driven all of the piles — 62 miles worth — which make up the foundation of the bridge.

More than 80 percent of the deck is in place, and Spectrum Bay News 9 Traffic Expert Tim Wronka got to drive on it Thursday.

"The most visual thing that drivers will see is really a bridge that looks complete. We have most of the deck poured. Most of the barrier wall placed," said Greg Deese, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) resident engineer.

FDOT says about 250,000 cars cross the Howard Frankland daily. (Spectrum Bay News/Tim Wronka)

Once the new span opens, the current southbound bridge will be flipped northbound toward Tampa.

The new bridge is about 10 feet higher than the current bridge built in the 1990s and will be the biggest bridge in Florida by square footage. 

It will also offer two new express lanes in each direction, plus a multi-use trail.

FDOT says about 250,000 cars cross the Howard Frankland daily.

"I think Tampa is going to see a major improvement as far as the efficiency of going back and forth from Hillsborough and Pinellas County," Alonso said.

The plan as of now is to have drivers using the new bridge by the spring of next year. FDOT will then continue a rehab project on the current span.

The oldest span of the bridge, built in the 1960s, will be demolished in 2026.