Mason Dixon’s 5 Worst Tampa Roads To Drive

The Tampa Bay area is so large I can’t name them all. I’m sure you have a road or two you feel this way about. These are my 5 worst Tampa roads to drive on.

There are roads and intersections that we all love to avoid. They’re on both sides of the bay. That’s where this list will focus. I may make another list soon. Let’s face it, I could name roads all day long that you’d agree could give you nightmares.

Here’s the Mason Dixon countdown of the Worst Tampa Roads:

• 5. Tie Between Dale Mabry Highway and 60/Brandon Blvd. through Brandon

  Both use to be four lanes, two in each direction and always a nightmare. Now they are six lanes or more with at least three in each direction. They need to be 10 lanes wide to handle all of the traffic. Each can still be a bad dream during peak times with none of the red lights set for traffic flow.

• 4, Gulf to Bay Blvd.

  4. Let’s give Pinellas County a shoutout! Gulf To Bay Blvd. is on my must-avoid-if-possible list. Too many red lights that seem to stay red forever. Let’s not forget the tourists trying to get to the beach and have no idea where they are going. It’s a beautiful area, but gosh I hate to drive that road.

• 3. Ulmerton Road

  3. While we’re in Pinellas, we can’t fail to mention Ulmerton Road. Much like Gulf To Bay, too many lights that aren’t timed for flow. Forget speeding here-good luck just running anywhere close to the speed limit.

  #Traffic Delays stack up on the Veterans Expressway SB after earlier crash near Hillsborough. Use Caution. pic.twitter.com/5j3Gp9eshk

  — 10 Tampa Bay (@10TampaBay) September 7, 2022

• 2. Veterans Expressway

  Here’s a racetrack….the Veterans Expressway. It used to be a great alternative to scary I-275 thru Tampa. Now, however, it’s loaded with big dirt hauler trucks and other commercial trucks. Also, no one goes the speed limit. In the afternoon it becomes a real raceway as well. I see many cars passing me running 90 and above. I guess they are late for dinner.

  #Traffic: #Hillsborogh: Delays are building SB on the Veterans Expressway right now near airport exit and split to I-275, SR-60 pic.twitter.com/c5PNnkqwZZ

  — Sarah Rosario (@SarahWTSP) August 22, 2022

• 1. Howard Frankland Bridge

  For me it’s the top of the list is the Howard Frankland Bridge. I call it the Howard Frankland Raceway and the Howard Frankenstein Bridge. I take it twice each day-once in the midday coming to work and at about 7 p.m. on my way home. It’s a white knuckle ride: 4 lanes of cars all running over the speed limit nose to bumper. The least mistake in front of you and at least 10 cars or more will get caught up in it. You can’t go fast enough across the bridge either. Even in the far right slow lane, if you are not at least 10 over the limit you will get run over. God forbid getting in the fast lane where I had nuts cutting in and out of lanes running over 90… scary stuff.