Initial construction in Tampa I-275 originally opened in 1962 as a segment of
I-75, from the present northern terminus to a
diamond interchange at
SR 678 (Bearss Avenue). The portion of I-4 that would later become a part of I-275, the
Howard Frankland Bridge, and its short freeway stubs at the bridge's endpoints, opened to traffic about a year earlier. In 1964, the stub of what was then known as I-4 between 50th Street (through "Malfunction Junction") and Armenia Avenue was completed. "Malfunction Junction's" northern end was a pair of ramp stubs that would later be filled in by I-75. In 1965, the segment of I-75 from "Malfunction Junction" to about Sligh Avenue was completed, and, by 1967, the remaining gaps in I-4 and I-75 were filled and opened to traffic. When I-275 was built it split Tampa cutting through historic and ethnic neighborhoods. A local citizen, Josh Frank, initiated #blvdtampa movement, which advocates removing I-275 and building a boulevard instead.
Controversy and repeated delays in Pinellas Around 1970, plans for the extension of I-75 into Pinellas County began. However, the first round of local opposition would lead to the eventual (and repeated) delays of I-75 through St. Petersburg. The first setback was led by
4th Street business owners and residents who demanded that construction on I-75 be stopped, since the
bridge was already funneling unwanted traffic into the corridor. It has since seen many unforeseen business and residential booms due to the building of this bridge. At the same time, construction began on I-75 from
SR 686 (Roosevelt Boulevard) to about 38th Avenue North. By this time, I-4 was truncated to "Malfunction Junction", allowing the I-75 designation to take over the freeway from the junction to 4th Street North. This segment was opened to traffic in 1973, with the gap between Roosevelt and 9th Street filled in a few years later. Around this time, I-75 was redesignated as I-275, and, after some more local opposition, I-275 was constructed to meander down to
SR 595 (5th Avenue North), near downtown St. Petersburg, in 1975. The construction of I-275 over nearly a 50-year period between 1970 and 2016 uprooted many
Black families in the Methodist Town, Gas Plant, and 22nd Street neighborhoods. These practices of
eminent domain by the
St. Petersburg government helped to shut down small companies in these neighborhoods and sustained white businesses that were located more centrally. Families in the Gas Plant neighborhood were assured good jobs at
Tropicana Field to help ease the burden of moving. During the 1970s, the government removed 285 buildings and 500 families to help build the Interstate which cost $11.3 million (equivalent to $ in ). The widespread demolition included 10 Black-American churches. The families in the bulldozed Gas Plant neighborhood were guaranteed cheaper homes and 600 new jobs by the city, but these offers were never delivered. The segment of I-275 between Memorial Highway (SR 60) and Himes Avenue was widened from four to six lanes in 1974. Additionally, a
median barrier was built along the freeway from Himes Avenue to
Downtown Tampa. Many members in the affected neighborhoods found the actions taken by the government to be very controversial. In 1977, Chester James was appointed by the city government as the representative from Methodist Town to vote on the future development plans of his neighborhood. However, the city's unclear plans led him to vote in favor of evicting 377 families (including his own) from the neighborhood. In 2003 operational improvements began for the notorious "Malfunction Junction" in Downtown Tampa. The project consisted of widening mainline I-275 and I-4, along with an array of ramp and bridge improvements, lighting and drainage work, and new signs. The entire project was completed on December 22, 2006, with
intelligent transportation system (ITS) components installed by March 2007. The renovation of the I-4 corridor through
Ybor City was finished around mid-2007, almost one year ahead of schedule. In January 2011, construction began on widening the northernmost segment of I-275 from
US 41 (Nebraska Avenue) to the I-75 apex from four to six lanes. The project also includes constructing a dedicated
flyover ramp over I-75 towards
SR 56. This ramp, along with a new, extended ramp from I-75 to SR 56, opened on August 18, 2011. On February 4, 2011, a new ramp connecting northbound I-275 to 118th Avenue North opened. This project, beginning in July 2009 and involving widening the existing ramp from northbound I-275 to SR 686, is being performed in conjunction with the project to build the Mid Pinellas Expressway, which has suffered numerous delays due to a lack of funding. The staged reconstruction project for I-275 between the Howard Frankland Bridge and Downtown Tampa was supposed to begin in mid-2006. However, bids received by the
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the project came in at $100 million (40 percent) over the projected estimates, which was blamed on the rising cost of asphalt and other materials, which was, in turn, partly blamed on the rising oil prices worldwide. As a result, FDOT commenced with the project in four smaller phases, rather than the original, large-scale, two-phase project. Construction began on phase one, the northbound lanes (south of the existing interstate) between Himes Avenue and Downtown Tampa, on August 13, 2007, and was completed in April 2010. Phase two, which includes construction of the northbound lanes from the
Westshore area to Himes, was originally scheduled to begin in 2008 but was delayed further. The third phase will consist of transferring northbound traffic onto the new northbound lanes, southbound traffic onto the existing northbound lanes, and the construction of the new southbound lanes from Himes to downtown. Finally, the fourth and final phase will construct the new southbound lanes from the Westshore area to Himes. The project also reconfigured the Dale Mabry Highway (US-92) and Lois Avenue interchanges. The Dale Mabry Highway interchange was converted from a partial cloverleaf into a diamond interchange. The offramp from southbound I-275 to Lois Avenue was relocated to access Lois Avenue via Cypress Street and flyover ramps were also constructed in order to limit traffic weave between the two interchanges. The entire project was originally scheduled to be completed by around 2013 or 2014, but it was extended until early 2015 and costed an estimated $540 million (equivalent to $ in ), an increase from the original $350-million (equivalent to $ in )budget. Finally, on June 28, 2016, the fourth and final phase was finished with the new lanes finally opening, ending the long term project in Tampa. In 2020, the Memorial Highway interchange was reconfigured and widened I-275 to three lanes throughout the length of the interchange. A reconstruction project was planned to begin on the Howard Frankland Bridge in 2017 for the new
Gateway Expressway project, a plan to build a new toll road to connect different parts in Pinellas County. 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. On January 7, 2021, FDOT postponed by a week to January 16, 2021 the start date for removing an overpass and the corresponding exit ramp over I-275. It had been scheduled to shut down by 8 p.m.,
EST, January 9, through January 10. This work was part of the U.S. $600 million toll road project. On January 16 to 17, 2021, workers removed the 4th street north interchange bridge (overpass) from 8 p.m. on January 16, to 12 p.m. on January 17. Exit 32 was closed until late 2021 while the new overpass is constructed. Overall construction on this large project began in fall 2020 and completion is expected in late 2025. A completely new bridge will carry southbound traffic. Once that bridge is completed, the existing southbound bridge will be converted to carry northbound traffic. When all traffic is moved to the final alignment, the existing northbound bridge will be removed. The newly built bridge for southbound traffic will include a separate pathway for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and additional vehicle traffic lanes. Many projects have been completed and include many enhancements such as reduced traffic congestion, upgraded lighting, better markings, and modernized traffic signs increasing visibility.
Other improvements Other sections not requiring a full-scale reconstruction have undergone improvements: • Concrete rehabilitation from 62nd Avenue North to exit 17 in Pinellas County, complete, 2001–2005 • Resurfacing from the Howard Frankland Bridge to Himes Avenue (exit 41C), complete, 2002 • Resurfacing from the US 41 overpass (exit 53) to I-75 junction in Lutz, complete, 2003 • Resurfacing from the Howard Frankland Bridge to SR 687, complete, 2006 • Concrete rehabilitation/bridge upgrade/lighting improvements from "Malfunction Junction" to Busch Boulevard, complete, 2007 • Concrete rehabilitation from 26th Avenue North to exit 23, complete, 2008 • Rehabilitation at exit 28, complete, 2008 • Resurfacing between exit 17 to the Misner Bridge in Pinellas County (currently ongoing) • Widening of the northbound exit ramp at exit 51 in Hillsborough County, complete, 2012 • Bridge reconstruction at SR 687 at exit 32 southbound, complete, 2024 • Widening project on I-275 in Pinellas begins, 2025. ==Services==