Howard Frankland Bridge

If you want to skip the four general-use lanes in each direction, it will soon cost you 50 cents to take the express routes across Old Tampa Bay. Also, a path for pedestrians, cyclists and sightseers is open.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said his remains were found on the Howard Frankland Bridge. His girlfriend, Nahida Bristy, is still missing.

Florida Department of Transportation officials say the price tag is now set at $973.4 million.

The project is one stage in a long-term goal to connect downtown St. Petersburg to the new express lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

The oldest portion of the bridge will be torn down as express lanes on the new bridge are scheduled to open next year.

The new bridge is built higher to better avoid storm surge spilling over onto the roadway, like what happened during last year's hurricane season.

After a decade of planning and four years of construction, the traffic switch will occur early Tuesday, weather permitting, on the $865 million, eight-lane span over Old Tampa Bay.

This new version of the bridge is expected to have a 100-year shelf life, with wider concrete barriers. It will also have a wide multi-use path for bikers and pedestrians.

Project leaders are aiming for a completion date by the end of 2024.

Tampa police will set up an exclusion zone before the 4 a.m. razing of the former DoubleTree Westshore. Area roads, including I-275 bordering to the south, will be shut down ahead of the blast.

The southbound lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge will be closed overnight Monday into Tuesday.

From downtown highways to high traveled interchanges, drivers in the greater Tampa Bay region can expect to see frequent construction projects as the area continues to grow.