[1][2][3] Work began in fall 2020 to rebuild this bridge with separate pedestrian and bicycle lanes, with completion expected in late 2025.

[5] Because of the bridge's design, including its lack of emergency shoulders, it proved to be dangerous.

[6] In 1962, a steel-reinforced tapered concrete barrier was installed "to prevent cars from hurtling the median and crashing into oncoming traffic."

[7] The bridge was the subject of a 60 Minutes broadcast in the 1960s noting the below-average construction methods used.

Whenever there would be a major delay at the Howard Frankland Bridge, special signs would alert drivers to the delay and direct them to utilize the bypass, which ran along SR 694 and across the Gandy Bridge, to the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, Willow Avenue, Howard Avenue, and ending at Interstate 275.

Backups were still seen on the Howard Frankland heading into Tampa, primarily due to a bottleneck at the SR 60/Veterans Expressway exit.

However, FDOT planned to reconstruct the interstate in smaller phases rather than the original larger two-phase project and the start of construction was delayed to 2020.

Once the reconstruction project is finished in 2025, major traffic congestion on the Howard Frankland bridge is expected to be significantly reduced by the addition of new lanes.

When all traffic is moved to the final alignment, the existing northbound bridge will be removed.