New Flyover Bridge Coming To Malfunction Junction In Tampa

There will be a new flyover bridge coming to Malfunction Junction in Tampa. Malfunction Junction is the I-275/I-4 interchange in Tampa. The Florida Department of Transportation said that a new flyover bridge from I-275 southbound to I-4 eastbound will be coming. The bad news is that crews will be working on this new flyover bridge through 2027. Work will begin on the bridge beginning in 2024. So, be prepared for extra construction starting soon. In addition to the flyover ramp, the FDOT will also be widening lanes on I-275 both northbound and southbound. Those new lanes will go all the way north to Hanna Avenue.

People who live in the area didn’t want major changes done to malfunction junction. Austin Peterson, who is a senior construction project manager for the Florida Department of Transportation said, “The main concern for the community was essentially the interstate widening out into their community. So, we are maintaining, in DOT right of way, all of the construction. We didn’t expand that. We are maintaining that to address those concerns.”

This will definitely be a welcome change when it gets completed and hopefully, that is in 2027. I know I’ve noticed driving out to the Amp for a country music concert that even on Saturdays it feels like it’s 5 o’clock traffic. So if you take I-275 southbound to go to the Amp for concerts, maybe this will help alleviate some of those backups even on the weekends. Also, the fact that they are widening the lanes both north and southbound will hopefully cause fewer backups on I-4 coming into downtown because that backs up all the time. Finally, these changes are welcome and I can’t wait to see them done because it is going to help out traffic big time here in Tampa.

[SOURCE: WFLA]

Updated June 2024

As you drive over the Howard Frankland Bridge, you see progress, but it's still pretty tough to imagine what all of this work is going to look like upon completion. Work won't finish until late 2025 according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The cost is expected to be about $865 million. Not patient enough to wait until 2025 to see what this is all going to look like? Nor am I. Here's a sneak preview from artist renditions shared by the Florida Department of Transportation.

A new southbound/westbound (from Tampa to St. Pete) bridge is what you see currently being built north of the current southbound/westbound bridge. It'll have 8 lanes - 4 for general use and 4 express lanes. There's a bike and pedestrian path in the plan. The bridge we use now to go from Tampa to St. Pete will become the new northbound/eastbound part of 275 once the new bridge is ready. The bridge we use to go from St. Pete to Tampa will be taken down.

As of May 2024:
- 100% of pilings have been driven.
- 99% of bridge footings have been completed.
- 98% of bridge columns have been completed.
- 92% of bridge caps have been completed.
- 77% of the bridge superstructure beams have been placed.
- 71% of bridge decks placed.

Not only are they making major progress on the structure of the bridge. But they have also finally repaved the 2 right lanes by the Martin Luther King JR exit. I'd imagine that the nice weather and lack of rain has helped them get some of this progress completed.

Many complain that this won't help with our traffic flow, especially with the malfunction junction exit going into the Veteran's/Clearwater. Well, don't worry. The FDOT is on that too, as apart of the Westshore Interchange reconstruction project.