$340 Million I-275 Express Lane Project Begins in St. Petersburg

Work has started on three new toll lanes along I-275 in St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park. This $340 million project will link up with express lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

"This area is growing exponentially...these express lanes provide that additional capacity for those that are driving in the corridor," said Chelsea Favero, Metropolitan Planning Organization Division Manager with Forward Pinellas, to WUSF.

The project comes after the $600 million Gateway Expressway opened in April 2024, which helped solve east-west traffic problems across Pinellas County.

Local company Prince Contracting landed the contract for this next phase. Their work includes noise walls along Ulmerton Road plus a new walking path.

The expanded road connects to a new 5.8-mile bridge that splits traffic into regular lanes and express lanes going both ways, with room for cyclists and pedestrians.

Crews moved the 1990s southbound section to handle northbound traffic on July 9, 2025. By spring 2026, they'll tear down the old 1960s structure.

When done in 2026, the express lanes will help drivers skip through rush hour traffic by adding 50% more road space between the counties. This should end the slow crawl during busy times.

These improvements line up with expected growth around the airport area linking St. Petersburg and Tampa. The better road also offers an improved evacuation route during hurricanes.