The Howard Frankland Bridge (I-275) is a major, 3 mile long heavily traveled bridge connecting Tampa to St. Petersburg, across Old Tampa Bay. A $973.4 million expansion project is nearing completion in early 2026, adding a new, wider bridge with 4 lanes, 4 express lanes, and a dedicated pedestrian/bicycle path read more

I have crossed this bridge countless times and it is always a cool experience. Bridges are strange, it is hard for me to recommend it because you are either heading over it or not depending on your final destination, but i will recommend that you enjoy the ride and view going over it. read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

See all

This bridge links Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg. It is one of three bridges connecting Hillsborough County and Pinellas County -- the others being Gandy Bridge and Courtney Campbell Causeway. This bridge carries Interstate 275 and is probably the most traveled of the Tampa Bay bridges. 4 lanes each way. Currently there's construction happening around the bridge which began in 2020 to rebuild with separate pedestrian and bicycle lanes, completion expected in late 2025. Traffic can still use the current bridge while the new one is under construction. read more

View is beautiful. Pictures were taken from the passenger seat as we crossed the bridge. The traffic and drivers on this bridge are a bit trying but it gets you to where you have to go read more

See all

Essential and toll free travel between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The views are spectacular but the signage is poor and confusing. The bridge carries interstate 275 and is the busiest in Tampa. 275 North is to Tampa and 275 South is to Clearwater. Feather Sound in Pinellas to Westshore in Hillsborough. The east to west directions of the travel somehow seems wrong. Taking the wrong exit during rush hour is not cool and definitely a mood changer. Construction on the new bridge has begun. Due for completion in 2025, the estimated cost will be $865 million. read more

The northbound lane expansion on Tampa side has changed the game. She went from a 3.7 to 4.9 real quick. Typically expect people to be going at least 5 above the speed limit. Even when the traffic backs up you got the $$$ views. read more

I do love driving over this bridge (when there's no traffic!) Built in 1960, this 3 mile (technically) bridge has beautiful views going either way. Four lanes on each side helps traffic to flow, when there are no accidents (frequent) or broken down vehicles. Rush hour is usually pretty congested. Sometimes I will drive this bridge and listen to music just to have some "me" time. As it's the way to the beaches and downtown St Pete coming from Wesley Chapel on I275, I do enjoy the ride. Funniest thing about the Yelp reviews I've read are that approximately 50 percent refer to it as the Howard FrankLIN Bridge lol. Construction plans to begin in 2020 for a brand new bridge design. We will see how long that takes! Let's just add 15-45 mins to your ride when the construction will be going on. read more

I travel the Howard Frankland bridge several times per year and find it the quickest route into Saint Pete. This four lane, toll-free and scenic portion of 275 offers beautiful views of the sparkling gulf waters and sometimes dolphins. The drive is enjoyable when traffic is light, which tends to be most of the time heading southbound into Saint Pete. The northbound side bottlenecks at Westshore, so rush hour is horrendous there. The worst thing you can do is accidentally miss your exit, drive to Pinellas, turn around, and get stuck on the seven mile stretch during stop and go traffic. I think everyone I've met has done that at least once! Overall the traffic flow is typical of 275 clientele. You'll see idiots traveling in the passing lane at 65 mph, idiots rubbernecking at 45 miles per hour, and everyone else weaving around the idiots. On a good note, I read online that northbound construction is starting this year. Hopefully this will ease the rush hour traffic jams heading into Tampa. read more

Hello, bridge. And we're still here. And still here. And we are STILL here. This is a super-long bridge and that's not a bad thing. I can't guess what it must have been like before it was here, driving all the way around the bay or taking a ferry. But today, it's this bridge and its sister bridges (this one is named after Howard Frankland, so wouldn't it be a 'brother' bridge?) join the sister cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg. Smooth ride, sometimes backed up with traffic, good clear lane paintings and a slight breakdown lane on each side. AND IT'S FREE. Five stars. read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - You are here. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

There are no bad bridges in my opinion they all provide convenient access across something. Every negative review posted here are people related and has absolutely nothing to do with the bridge itself. I'm going out on a limb here but I'd bet all the traffic issues blamed on this magnificent structure are related to people's inattentive driving, people texting, people gawking, people speeding, people stopping on the bridge, people who don't maintain their vehicles, etc. How fortunate we are to have these well engineered mammoth structures to make our commutes possible not always pleasant but possible. The oldest span is in the planning stages to be replaced, a light rail system is being discussed if that happens people will be able to change their focus and start complaining about how awful the train is and will soon forget the missed opportunities they had to roll their windows down and smell the salty air while relaxing to some soothing tunes during their crossing not to mention the beautiful views that we all take for grant it. So complain if you must and be frustrated on your daily commute or focus on the positives and realize this could be some of the best downtime of your day. I call these moments "my time" Facts about the W. Howard Frankland Bridge Date construction started: June 1957 Date completed: August 1959 Total cost: $6,528,813.04 Overall length of bridge: 15,872 feet Overall length of approaches: Over 11 miles, including approaches and traffic distributors Type of construction: 348 spans consisting of reinforced concrete deck slab on prestressed concrete girders supported on concrete piers and steel H-piles Concrete handrail: 31,600 lineal feet Quantities of materials used: Pounds of steel used: 15,000,000 Cubic yards of concrete used: 84,000 221,460 lineal feet of 24" square prestressed concrete piling 2,720 lineal feet of 14" steel H-piles 7,995 lineal feet of creosoted wood piles 22,656 thousand board feet of creosoted timber 15,000,000 pounds of reinforcing steel in all items read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

See all

Four lanes in each direction isn't enough. Maybe a toll will reduce traffic, but I doubt it. This is the most convenient bridge for many of us commuting between Hillsborough & Pinellas counties, at any price... As long as traffic is moving. Over the years, I've seen many dolphins & possibly sharks, while coasting on this bridge during rush hour. I prefer to drive in the far right lane for the views. Usually, all lanes seem to move at more or less a similar pace, so at least I get a better view from the far right side of the bridge. The downtown Tampa skyline never gets old! Traffic flow is terrible. It's never been good. Never in my 30+ cognizant years crossing the Bay on this bridge. I still hope FLDOT will figure it out, someday. read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Last week on the HFB. #TampaBay #TrafficProblems #pelican #nature #wildlife #Downtown #Tampa #skyline - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

See all

The Howard Franklin bridge is one of my favorite bridges, really. More than the benefit of connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg, FL the bridge offers beautiful views of the bay and downtown Tampa skyline and can get you easily across the gulf. The expanse is very smooth sailing if you don't travel during peak times and or heinous storms. It also boasts broad lanes and I think is a cool and functional design. Perhaps I like the bridge because I don't have the misfortune of traveling on it for work during typical commuting hours nor have been on it during a storm. Let's hope you aren't one of those commuters that has to deal with traffic gridlock. The northbound rightmost lanes have severe traffic in the early morning hours (the Kennedy/Airport exit lanes). I feel for the people who get stuck in this such atrocious traffic. This low lying bridge is definitely an asset to transportation in Tampa Bay. I would like to see some relief for the horrendous traffic that is present at times, however. read more

See all

Tampa Bay Area bridges provide vital connection between the counties. Howard Franklin Bridge is the major connection with interstate system compare to Courtney Campbell and Gandy. The Howard Franklin Bridge has seen with traffic backup for 25% of the service time. This due to the back up of Kennedy Blvd and the merge lane of the SR 60 to 275 connection. The FDOT is working on the major issue to smooth out the need of the people. A future toll system is planned for people who in hurry. The interchange on the malfunction junction will be corrected. In the meantime, the bridge is nice to to drive on and enjoy the water view. If you hit the right time, the sunset can be seen in this bridge for full sun drop into the water horizon since it take 7 minutes to drive across. It has to be right time on the bridge which I post 1 picture I have experience the beauty. read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Sunset at Howard Franklin Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Ah, I remember this bridge when it was a single span. Now it's two. The older, lower, span carries the traffic east. The newer, taller, span carries traffic west. It gets pretty busy during rush hour. When there's an accident, it comes to a standstill. If your curious there are two other bridges across Old Tampa Bay: The Courtney Campbell Causeway to the north, and the Gandy Bridge to the south. If you are heading across this bridge for a flight (at TIA), or other important appointment, it's best to check the traffic. I often find the Gandy to be a better choice, and a little closer if you are coming from St. Pete. Bottom line: Check the traffic, you don't want to be stuck here if you can avoid it. read more

It's a wonderful bridge, connecting the two sides of the Bay. When we first moved down here in the mid 90s it was only one span. Thank goodness for the new span, now they'll be no traffic problems, no congestion, no back ups, less accidents, right? No way Jose!! There is rarely a time when heading into Tampa, that traffic is not backed up! And it truly pays to listen to the traffic reports in the morning and evening to know which of the three bridges to avoid. Slow down Tampa Bay! read more

This bridge was loooooooooonnnnnnnnnggggggggg! Does anyone know how long this bridge really is? Because nobody has written a review indicating how many miles it is. I'm going to take my best guess and say it's 7 miles long! Okay, my curiosity got the best of me and I Googled it. It's 3 miles long, though with all the approaches and descents, it IS 7 miles long lol! I wasn't ready for it and I was driving alone, exploring like a fool, as usual. I saw spots where you could pull over and stop, but I was on a mission to Indian Rocks Beach, and there was nothing that was going to stop me! Starbucks in hand, I plodded along. When was it going to end? It was scary knowing you were on a bridge, in the middle of the ocean, and that it was probably about 65 feet deep. I should google that, but I don't really want to know. Soooo--Again, I Googled the average depth is 12 feet, except some areas that are dredged and dug out for ships are 43 feet deep. Okay! NOW I'm not so scared, considering I grew up swimming in Lake Michigan, and THAT'S 922 feet deep! Oh my holy hell! Anyway, the trip across went fast at 70mph! 70??? Really??? Omg!!! I was over it in no time. Whew! It's worth it because it's beautiful on the other side. Coming back was a different story. I didn't anticipate the rush hour traffic at 5:30pm, and it was a virtual parking lot. Ugh! I could see the downtown Tampa skyline in the distance, lots of red tail lights in front of me, and a ton of white head lights coming from the other way. Looking out over the water was scary because it was choppy, grey, cold-looking and getting dark! But it takes you from point A to point B, and I made it through it. Oh, and I forgot to mention it's free, so no tolls. Next time though, I won't be doing it alone. ;) read more

Beautiful views of Tampa Bay and the Tampa / St Petersburg skyline! This famous connector puts you from St Pete to Tampa or vice versa. If you're coming from St Pete, this is the direct route to get to Tampa International Airport. Word of caution: mind commuter traffic if you're trying to catch a flight. Any accident can slow this route to a crawl, and currently the exit lanes for the airport bottleneck to one lane, making traffic management problematic. There are places to pull over and take pictures before and after the bridge on both sides. Storms during the summer look amazing from here, as you can see shelf clouds and supercells in all their majesty. A note for GPS users: the wrong turn on this bridge, north or south, will have you traveling 10+miles in the wrong direction. Know where you are going unless you want to burn up some time! read more

This bridge is a great connector between Tampa proper, and the City of St. Petersburg. I would never be crazy enough to drive it during rush hour (thus, I do not attend weekday evening Tampa Bay Rays baseball games), but the rest of the time it's fine. Of the 3 main connector bridges, this one has the most lanes, and seems to be the most utilized. There are always people speeding on it, so change lanes cautiously, as people tend to use all lanes to go as fast as they can. If you are a passenger, the view can be amazing. You will see bright blue water as far as the eyes can see, a variety of birds, sailboats, fishing boats, the other bridges, etc. No matter the time of day, be ready for stoppage when you leave St. Petersburg and head back into Tampa. As you get close to Tampa, there are multiple lane options with multiple exits, and traffic always slows as people jockey for position to get where they need to be. Be safe! read more

I should admit in complete candor that this was a drive-by check-in, as I had no burning desire to pull off to the side of the roadway, jump out of my SUV, and take a selfie with the skyline of Tampa in the background. So YES, I was in a moving vehicle when I checked in at this location. The Howard Frankland Bridge (commonly misspelled as the Howard Franklin Bridge) is the central bridge spanning Old Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg over to Tampa. This is one of the three bridges that connect Hillsborough County to Pinellas County, and it carries the Interstate 275 traffic which makes this the most-heavily travelled bridge across the Bay. On a clear day you can see the other two bridges while crossing Tampa Bay -- the Courtney Campbell Causeway to the north, and the Gandy Bridge to the south. During rush hour this bridge can easily turn into a parking lot, and accidents are very common. Late at night, the Howard Frankland is a popular hot rodding / drag strip spot, especially with motorcycles, so be careful late at night! When the traffic is light and the sun is shining this is a spectacular drive which is always a big hit with out-of-town guests. The view of downtown Tampa as you cross the bay is second to none. read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Howard Frankland Bridge, heading from Clearwater into downtown Tampa - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

A nightmare with traffic, but even if you're completely stopped it provides a scenic view. When there is no traffic I'd give this bridge five stars. When there is traffic it's a two. Therefore, I'll round up my 3.5 rating to a four. To be fair, I've never driven in a place that has "real" traffic. My younger sister lives in Los Angeles and there have been times that it has taken her 1.5 hours to make it 9 miles. Just thinking about it gives me hives. This traffic pales drastically in comparison to that. To this Floridian, however, it is still enough to drive me crazy. Rush hour generally happens between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. give or take. The traffic is always bad going into Tampa. Once you hit the airport exit, the lanes shrink from four to two which creates a bottleneck. If you are driving away from Tampa, you'll be cruising, but going in is a pain. In terms of equality, however, this does ensure that whether you work in Pinellas and live in Hillsborough or work in Hillsborough and live in Pinellas, you'll experience traffic during one part of your commute. I suppose it is only fair that everyone suffers. The afternoon commute is more brutal than the morning (again, we are only talking about going to Tampa, because leaving Tampa is a breeze). I used to work by International Plaza and I live in Feather Sound. The morning commute took me about half an hour. Now that I work from home, I sometimes cross the bridge into Tampa in the evenings to meet friends. That same morning commute takes closer to 45 minutes. I hope you have your books on tape ready. For all my griping about traffic, the scenery is beautiful. Being surrounded by water with the rising Tampa skyline in the background is the best view you are ever going to have when stuck in traffic. When there is no traffic, getting over the bridge is easy. I still remember the first time I drove over the bridge towards Pinellas County and I thought I was entering paradise. Random fact, after living here for over five years I've always called this bridge the Howard FranklIN Bridge. Only by writing this review did I learn it is the Howard FranklAND Bridge. I even googled it, because I thought Yelp was wrong. Go figure. read more

I travel the Howard Frankland bridge almost every week day. The bridge is four lanes and takes you from Pinellas to Tampa or Tampa to Pinellas, depending on which way you are heading. To be honest, there is almost always traffic northbound. In the morning from about 6:30 AM - 11 AM and then around 2:30 PM - 7 PM. It is almost always a nightmare but does seem to move relatively well as long as there is not an accident. The traffic from the bridge merges with traffic at Westshore, which seems to cause most of the backup. I used to avoid the bridge at all costs but it seems like now it is the quickest way to get back and forth. My suggestion, if you can, is to leave before or after rush hour if you want to avoid the chaos. read more

Note: this is a BRIDGE, not an AMERICAN (NEW) Restaurant. Despite my numerous correction submissions. I must admit, I geek out, A LOT. One of the things I geek out about are structures and architecture. Of the three bridges across old Tampa Bay (4 in the area of you count Sunshine Skyway), the Howard Frankland is my second from the least favorite. I admit I admire the structure, it's architectural prowess and the sweeping vistas it provides as you drive over it. On clear days you can see the other two bridges crossing over Old Tamp Bay. On not so clear days, the dark and boiling seas are quite beautiful. At night, you get the glow of lights from Rocky Point, Downtown Tampa, and Downtown St Pete. It's very easy in 2015, to forget that this was built nearly 60 years ago. The only reason it falls below Courtney Campbell and the Sunshine Skyway is due to pure aesthetics. You get amazing landscaping and some hotties running while you drive on Courtney Campbell Causeway. In terms of traffic conditions, all I have to say is traffic in Tampa is atrocious. It's not the bridges fault. Enjoy the vistas and just be blessed you're stuck in traffic on an amazing Florida bridge, not some dark, smelly subway. read more

The Car Strangled Spanner! Is this the bridge over troubled waters? Or, the troubled bridge over waters? I would say it depends..... What time of day are you traveling the How-weird Frankenstein bridge? Are you motoring with the 'going to work' or the 'going home' traffic? The proverbial 'rush hour'. That makes a difference. Just add 30 minutes to your transit time. Plus, at almost any time of day or night, traffic snarls to a crawl when heading Eastbound into Tampa, just as you are about to get back onto dry land. This bottleneck is in the area where I-275 splits off from the Airport ramp and the Veteran's Expressway ramp. Four lanes down to two, or is it three, or is it???? It doesn't help that TONS of drivers zip past you on the Airport exit only to cut back into your line WAY up ahead of you! They're moving and you are, sitting there. To be real, it's a bridge. It does what it is designed to do, allow boxes of humans to traverse tropical tides. Otherwise, there'd be a giant pile of rusted-out HyunChevForyotas just off the pier!!!! You might try what I do. Drive like crazy while you can until you see all those brake lights ahead. Then just slow down, relax and look around. Enjoy the magnificent view and the airplanes flying right over your head. All the while singing Bohemian Rhapsody! "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality." read more

I love this bridge because it is Tampa's gateway to the beaches of St. Pete, the quaint art stylings and bungalows of Gulfport, and downtown St. Petersburg's restaurant and social scene. Sure, it's kind of packed with crazy drivers, speedsters, and detritus that fell off a 1986 toyota pickup truck, but no guts no glory!!! So fasten your seatbelt, hit the left lane, and hold on for dear life!!! Enjoy the expansive water views as they flash past. I remember as a youngster (even younger than I am now!!!) flying into Tampa International Aiirport and driving over the shiny glistening waters of Tampa Bay. Beautiful!!! Along with the lizards (I think of them as little dinosaurs), the kumquat, orange and grapefruit trees that people used to have in their gardens, and the swaying palm trees; the blue sky, fluffy clouds and sunshine over the Howard Franklin are welcoming beacons greeting you and welcoming you into a pure Florida Paradise. And If you do get stuck in traffic on the way back into Tampa at night, it's a river of lights. So enjoy some good tunes and think of them as stars. Lots and lots of very slow moving stars.. read more

Can't believe there are a decent amount of reviews about this bridge. Are people really going to be yelping Howard Frankland Bridge? And in actuality, they are going to be searching for Howard Franklin not Frankland. It's not like you need an address for this bridge, and if you don't have it, you are not going to use it. And it's not like you will avoid it if it has a bad review....okay whatever about that.. Plain and simple, it's a bridge that takes you from St. Pete to Tampa, and Tampa to St. Pete. It's got great views of our beautiful water, and it is not a great place to get stuck in traffic when we have rain storms. That's all. Have a nice day. read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Shout out to Gigi S. For the large pink phallic welcome to St. Petersburg sign - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

In case you ever wonder the definition of a bridge. Wikipedia defines a bridge as a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. With that said my GPS suggested taking the Howard Franklin Bridge as the quickest route to get from Brandon to St. Petersburg, Fl. I do not like that it is such a long bridge that doesn't have emergency vehicles near by to clear an accident or incident that may require immediate attention. I highly recommend that you have at least a quarter of gas in your tank, if your car is in jeopardy of stalling or breaking down please take another route, & last but not least pay attention to the road. If everyone does this we all can enjoy the beautiful scenery and arrive at our destinations safely without any problems. I would hate to drive it everyday as even during noon I experienced light traffic so I can only imagine rush hour. Safe travels! read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Light traffic ahead but notice the cloud formation it is so pretty. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The Howard Franklin Bridge is one of three bridges that connects Tampa to St. Petersburg, FL. When this bridge was first built in 1960 it had no emergency shoulders and a minimal median barrier which caused backed up traffic during accidents as well as several deadly car accidents. Tampa Bay locals nicknamed the bridge "Frankenstein" and "The Car-Strangled Spanner" due to it's dangerous state. A steel-reinforced concrete barrier was installed in 1962 after 10 deaths on the bridge. A second span to the bridge was completed in 1990 to accommodate increased traffic. This newer bridge was built slightly higher than the original bridge and carries the Southbound traffic to St. Pete. The original bridge is now the Northbound bridge to Tampa. If I had to choose between driving on the Howard Franklin or the Gandy Bridge I would pick the Gandy in a heartbeat. The Gandy Bridge has much less traffic during rush hour and I've seen fewer car accidents on the Gandy. Traffic is always backed up during rush hour. The recent construction of the 275 exits has made the traffic worse than ever. The one redeeming factor of the Howard Franklin Bridge is that drivers enjoy gorgeous views of the water as they sit in traffic. read more

This bridge may very well be the bane of your existence if you are cursed to be a frequent commuter. On the rare occasion when you can fly across it, the water views and sunsets can be quite beautiful. As it is a very low lying bridge, if you get caught in a windy rainy deluge, the water will fly up from the gulf and spill onto the roadway. Poor engineering in my opinion. Accidents are quite common, which can set you back an hour or more. Not fun! Lanes get blocked up frequently. Tempers flare, road rage ensues. Not sure why this always seems to happen at the dreaded hump heading northbound, but you have now been forewarned. read more

This is a three lane bridge, fairly low-lying in the water, that connects the mainland and Tampa to St. Petersburg and the beaches of Clearwater. We drove in on the Friday weekend before the 4th of July holiday around 7ish and breezed thru. No tolls or traffic just a horizon full of asphalt and water. I literally felt myself calming down and getting into the holiday mood as we crossed the water, so I'm glad it took a while as its a loooonnng bridge! Note: #166 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016 read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Pelicans waiting for dinner - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

When I first learned there were beaches in Pinellas county, I set off on a journey to find them. Low and behold, there's apparently a body of water called Tampa Bay that stood before me in my quest to reach Pinellas. I do not own a boat and my car is incapable of amphibious travel, so it seemed I had an insurmountable problem. Wait, perhaps not. The son of a horse buggy salesman, Howard Frankland apparently had the same issue and proposed this magnificent idea of building a bridge that would cross this body of water! His vision became reality and I was able to reach the beaches of Pinellas! Unfortunately, a few other people also know about this excellent bridge now so it has been known to turn into a parking lot every morning and afternoon, and that definitely slows my trek. read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - F this! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Oh god do I hate this bridge. I'm not sure what it is, but for some reason I've had too many bad experiences on this bridge. I've never seen a Mustang drive over a ladder at 70+ mph and go briefly airborne until driving on this bridge. Or what about the SUV that hit some large metal cover for some kind of equipment in the left lane causing the next 5 cars to swerve all over the place? Barring all the random -things- I've seen people hit or run over... I still don't think I can say anything nice. This bridge is only useful after 9p.m. because traffic is a hot mess. Going east? Well, prepare for brake lights once you get to the hump. Or people exiting for the airport from the left lane. Or FHP sitting at the end of it making everyone slam on their brakes. Once the slow downs start you're doomed. Your only option is to suffer an eternity of parking lot hell on a bridge with no exit for what? Like ten miles? I always regret taking this bridge instead of Gandy. Always! read more

There's so much you can say about a bridge but I will keep it brief. If the sun is out, you will probably be stuck in traffic coming into Tampa, you may get lucky early on the weekend. The bridge dumps into a bottleneck and the exit only lanes seem to create accidents as people change lanes to avoid taking the exit. Going to Saint Pete, you are usually ok and won't be slowing down by much unless there's a major accident. You may also get trapped in some delays if the weather is nice and people are heading to the beach. As far as bridges go, this is a nice looking bridge, nothing too fancy, just that classic "bridge" look. The best part of the Howard Frankland is the beautiful view of the bay as you cross (just don't look too much while you drive it). read more

Four stars for this bridge because it does get me from A to B but there's always traffic so the likelihood of accidents occurring is high! Always plan on crawling over the bridge at 16 miles per hour (if you're lucky) l. The view of downtown Tampa is distracting because it's beautiful and the water is a deep blue attraction. The bridge is four lanes wide so make sure you're in an outer lane or super attractive, otherwise ain't nobody gonna let you cut across! Safe driving! Xo P.S. There's always cops and state troopers along here!!! read more

Let's face it most of us move to Florida to observe and appreciate the waterfront views. The Howard Franklin Bridge is no exception, the Gandy to its south and the Courtney Campbell to its north are the other two bridges that span between St Petersburg Florida and Tampa Florida. Many years ago there was a fairy that went from the south side of St Pete to Tampa Florida, which is no longer running. There was also a train track that went across the water from st. Pete to Tampa which is also no longer in existence. Of course both of these were great and added to less traffic on all of the bridges. The Howard Franklin is what some peoples nightmares are made of & if you commute from Tampa to st. Pete, or vice versa, it can be over an hour to two hours a day each way. Nothing to look forward to coming or going. You forget to look out at the water, the sunshine , the boats and see the beauty of what your crossing on the bridge. What you are is stuck in live parking lot that moves at a very slow pace during peak traffic hours. Accidents are quite frequent and you need to be on the lookout at all times. On the rare occasion that you drive the Howard Franklin pretty much to yourself or a few dozen cars it is a terrific, fabulous view of Tampa and st. Petersburg Florida. Some think the best way to view the Howard Franklin is coming in on an airplane and seeing the cars passing on the bridge while you're landing at Tampa International Airport. Sometimes I tend to agree with these people because the bridge can be definitely be frightful at certain times of the day. I got to admit I personally avoid it during peak traffic times unless it's absolutely impossible and I must be somewhere. I don't think I'm alone in this belief or habit. Once again you cannot forget that during the day or the night the view, is absolutely spectacular. It reminds you why you wanted to move to Florida and why you continue to stay in Florida. The water, the boats on the water and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. I've been on the Howard Franklin where one side had rain in the other side had a rainbow and no rain. You just never know with these bridges what's going to happen in the Florida sunshine state. But you gotta love the ambiance that you get by driving over one of these bridges. What's a girl to do? Enjoy the good times on the bridge and try to stay off it during peak traffic times. read more

This is the bridge that connects The city oft Tampa to the city of St. Petersburg. As the case with most bridges, if traffic is moving smoothly no problem. but the moment there is even a vehicle with a flat tire everything slows to a crawl. Very beautiful scenery you have the skyline of Tampa and the skyline of St. Petersburg all around you. Beautiful blue ocean waters of Tampa Bay's surround you for several minutes. Makes for a lovely connection between Tampa and St. Petersburg. But if there is a breakdown, or a vehicle with a flat tire, beware! read more

I went to see the Tampa Bay Rays play the New York Yankees and I came across this bridge connecting Tampa to St. Petersburg. It is 3 miles long 15,900 feet to be exact. Look to your left you see water look to right you'll see more water. It is like you are car sailing on the sea! It is a great therapeautic drive and in my vacation served as one. It allowed me to think about my yelp travels and snap a few pictures. If you are ever stuck between reviews and need a nice one that will clear your mind ride this bridge and get back on track it is a beauty! Float on the sea on this 16 million dollar bridge that was constructed on 1960! and cruise history! read more

Howard Frankland Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tampa, Florida

See all

The thing that stands out to me about this bridge is that is very long and there doesn't seem to be much shoulder area. I can imagine that it would be awful to run out of gas or be stuck in traffic on here. Otherwise, it is decent - not much to write home raving about and I didn't experience anything to complain about. read more

My favorite bridge! Gandy, Courtney, and Sunshine: I love y'all, but none of you compare to The Howard Frankland. Easy on, easy off is what makes this bridge the best: I don't have to deal with Gandy Boulevard, tolls, or Clearwater Traffic. Plus, the views (if you're riding as a passenger) are phenomenal. You can see Downtown Tampa off in the distance, water as far as they eye can see, as well as the Gandy and Courtney Campbell bridges. Plus, TPA is super close to the bridge, which means 1. I can make it from my house to the parking garage is about 30 minutes and 2. Cool views of planes taking off and landing while driving over the bridge. Thanks for all of the nice times I've driven you, and look forward to many more! read more

This is a beautiful way to travel. I'm not concerned about architecture, pillars, murals or swooping designs of other bridges. I love being able to see the water, clouds, birds, and sometimes dolphins while crossing the expanse. We're closer to the water surface, and can enjoy our surroundings of the Tampa Bay area. For those of us who have lived or traveled in areas notorious for unending gridlock or traffic as slow as molasses, and getting stuck behind a truck or bus or car belching out thier smokescreen for miles, and having nothing but urban strife surrounding you, this bridge is heaven! Traffic? Please! Enjoy the pelican floating overhead, or the osprey perched on the lampost counting cars, or the clouds forming to the south. Our life here is a treasure compared to so many other areas! read more

Although this bridge gets backed up at the oddest times (at 3pm on a Sunday? Really???), I do love driving over bridges and this one is especially cool because of its height. For almost half of the distance, in both directions, the bridge is nearly parallel to the water line. This is really cool on both nice and stormy days. I have seen lightning strike the water so close by that you can practically feel the current in the air. On warm clear days I have noticed fish jump out of the water - large fish, not dolphins, mind you but still, I bet there are plenty of dolphins nearby depending on the season. The bridge is short so even if there is traffic you are not normally on it for a crazy amount of time (think NY traffic). Its also my preferred way to head to St Pete. read more