Site Navigation Alabama Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee     Interstate 275 South - Pinellas County Interstate 275 South Interstate 275 leaves the Howard Frankland Bridge and becomes both the St. Petersburg Parkway and the William C. Kramer Highway. These designations entail all of the freeway on peninsular Pinellas County. Photos taken 07/30/06. While crossing the Howard Frankland Bridge, southbound Interstate 275 leaves the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County and enters the city of Pinellas Park in Pinellas County. The freeway initially angles southwest, but it turns due south after Exit 28. The first exit in Pinellas County is Exit 32, a partial "Y" interchange with Florida 687 (4th Street North). Florida 687 begins here and heads southward to junction U.S. 92 (Gandy Boulevard), Florida 686 (Roosevelt Boulevard) west, and Florida 694 (Gandy Boulevard) west. Photo taken 07/30/06. Florida 687 (4th Street North) provides a direct route to U.S. 92 at Gandy Boulevard. The state highway merges with U.S. 92 and heads south through the 4th Street Business District to downtown St. Petersburg. Photo taken 05/27/05. Much of the traffic headed south from Tampa is bound for one of the various beach communities on the Gulf of Mexico. Beach exit signs are posted along Interstate 275 south with distances to the coastal cities via connecting routes. Pictured here is the North Beaches sign for Indian Rocks Beach (via Florida 688 west), Indian Shores (via Bryan Dairy Road west), and Redington Beaches (via 38th Avenue North). Photo taken 07/30/06. The South Beach exits sign follows with distances to Madeira Beach (via 38th Avenue North), Treasure Island (via Florida 595 west), and St. Pete Beach (via Florida 682 west). Photo taken 07/30/06. Exit 32 departs Interstate 275 south for the Florida 687 southbound beginning (4th Street North). Florida 687 leads through downtown to the end of Interstate 175. Photo taken 07/30/06. Departing next are the Exit 31 off-ramps to both Florida 688 (Ulmerton Road) west and Pinellas County 803 (Martin Luther King Jr. Street) south. Florida 688 begins at Exit 31 and travels west briefly to its merge with Florida 686 (Roosevelt Boulevard) near St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and Largo. Photo taken 02/21/06. Largo lies west along Florida 686 (East Bay Drive) and 688 (Ulmerton Road) roughly between U.S. 19 and U.S. 19 Alternate (Seminole Boulevard). Photo taken 07/30/06. Martin Luther King Jr. Street (9th Street North) provides a four-lane route leading south through St. Petersburg toward downtown. Pinellas County 803 is signed loosely along the northern portion of the route. Photo taken 07/30/06. A two-lane ramp leaves Interstate 275 southbound for Exit 31. Exit 31 partitions into directional ramps for Florida 688 (Ulmerton Road) westbound to Largo, Pinellas Park, and Indian Rocks Beach and for Martin Luther King Jr. Street southbound to St. Petersburg. Florida 688 provides connections to Florida 686 (Roosevelt Boulevard) west to the airport and Clearwater. Note the omission of "St" for Martin Luther King Jr. on these Exit 31 overheads. This was done to save on sign costs. Photo taken 07/30/06. A short distance south, Interstate 275 encounters the Exit 30 interchange complex with both Florida 686 (Roosevelt Boulevard) and Pinellas County 296 (118th Avenue North / Bryan Dairy Road). Photo taken 05/27/05. Florida 686 travels Roosevelt Boulevard northwest from the five-way intersection with U.S. 92, Florida 687 (4th Street North), Florida 694 (Gandy Boulevard) to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and Largo. Pinellas County 296 begins as a freeway spur leading west from Exit 30 to 118th Avenue North (Bryan Dairy Road), a divided surface boulevard through Pinellas Park. Photo taken 07/30/06. A two-lane off-ramp departs Interstate 275 south at Exit 30. Florida 686 constitutes a four-lane arterial northwest from St. Petersburg to its merge with Florida 688 (Ulmerton Road) at the airport. Pinellas County 296 travels west through Pinellas Park to Seminole along Bryan Dairy Road. The Pinellas County 296 corridor is slated for an upgrade to expressway standards between Exit 20 and the U.S. 19 freeway. Photo taken 07/30/06. Exit 30 partitions into its ramps to Florida 686 (Roosevelt Boulevard) and Pinellas County 296 west. The freeway of Pinellas County 296 ends prematurely at 118th Avenue North in St. Petersburg. A second expressway type connection is proposed to extend the roadway north to Florida 686 at 688 for the airport. Photo taken 07/30/06. Interstate 275 turns southward on the 0.75-mile approach to Exit 28 and Florida 694 (Gandy Boulevard) west. Florida 694 continues Gandy Boulevard west from U.S. 92 (4th Street North) to junction U.S. 19 at the Shoppes of Park Place. Photo taken 07/30/06. Florida 694 west to Pinellas County 694 (junction Florida 693 / 66th Street North) carries travelers along Park Boulevard to both Seminole and Indian Shores (junction Florida 699). Photo taken 07/30/06. Exit 28 defaults onto Florida 694 (Gandy Boulevard) west ahead of the signalized intersection with Grand Boulevard / 28th Street North. The state highway is partially access-controlled between U.S. 92 (4th Street North) and the SPUI with U.S. 19. West of U.S. 19, the state road travels a busy commercial arterial through Pinellas Park. Photo taken 07/30/06. Interstate 275 reassurance shield posted next to Sawgrass Lake Park, a county facility featuring hiking trails, a boardwalk, and opportunities to view turtles and alligators in their natural habitat. Photo taken 07/30/06. After the Florida 694 interchange, southbound Interstate 275 leaves Pinellas Park and enters the city of St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is the fourth largest city in Florida, with 248,232 people as of the 2000 Census and 60.9 square miles. The first St. Petersburg exit is Exit 26, 54th Avenue North. Photo taken 07/30/06. 54th Avenue North travels west from the St. Petersburg city limits to the unincorporated community of Lealman and the town of Kenneth City. Photo taken 07/30/06. One half mile north of the six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange with 54th Avenue North. 54th Avenue North carries portions of Pinellas County 202 on its trek west to Pinellas County 1 (Park Street) and east to U.S. 92 & Florida 687 (4th Street North). Photo taken 07/30/06. Button copy overhead posted at the Exit 26 off-ramp to 54th Avenue North. Haines Avenue (Pinellas County 689) intersects the four-lane street nearby, representing a former routing of U.S. 19 southeast from Pinellas Park into St. Petersburg. Photo taken 07/30/06. The next exit along southbound Interstate 275 is Exit 25, 38th Street (Pinellas County 184), one mile. Photo taken 06/05/04. Pinellas County 184 leads west along 38th Avenue North to U.S. 19 Alternate (Tyrone Boulevard) near the Bay Pines area. A short distance west of that intersection is the Florida 666 Madeira Beach Causeway southwest to Madeira and Redington Beaches. This route is the most direct and least time consuming to the coast. Photo taken 02/21/06. Thirty-eighth Avenue North serves Collidge Park to the west and Allendale Terrace to the east. It forms part of the St. Petersburg street grid system, where numbered avenues decrease southward to Central Avenue. Photo taken 07/30/06. The right lane exits only onto 38th Avenue North, while the three left lanes continue south toward downtown St. Petersburg and the Sunshine Skyway. 38th Avenue North leads east to U.S. 92 (4th Street North) at the Northeast shopping center. Westward, Pinellas County 183 meets U.S. 19 near Lealman at the Broadacres community Photo taken 01/19/08. U.S. 19 and 92 trailblazers are posted at the end of both the 38th Avenue North and 22nd Avenue North off-ramps from Interstate 275. Both four-lane streets directly link the freeway with U.S. 92 (4th Street North) and U.S. 19 (34th Street North) at their respective business districts. Photo taken 02/21/06. The next exit along southbound Interstate 275 is Exit 24, 22nd Avenue North, one mile. 22nd Avenue North joins Interstate 275 with the Ponce DeLeon, Woodlawn, and Euclid neighborhoods nearby. Photo taken 07/30/06. The next three exits along southbound serve downtown St. Petersburg: Exit 23B, Junction Florida 595/5th Avenue; Exit 23A, Junction Interstate 375/North Bay Drive east; and Exit 22, Junction Interstate 175/South Bay Drive east. Points of interest served by Exit 24 include the Sunken Gardens, a large collection of tropical plants in a botanical garden on 4th Street North. 22nd Avenue North west also leads drivers toward the VA Medical Center at Bay Pines. Photo taken 12/23/03. Southbound Interstate 275 reaches Exit 24, 22nd Avenue North. 22nd Street North east travels through Crescent Lake and Crescent Heights to U.S. 92 (4th Street North). 22nd Avenue South west leads to U.S. 19 and Tyrone Square Mall at junction U.S. 19 Alternate (Tyrone Boulevard) & Florida 693 (66th Street North). Photo taken 07/30/06. This diagrammatical sign shows that the connection to Interstate 375 (Exit 23A) is a left exit, with the left two lanes exiting onto Interstate 375. The three right lanes continue south on Interstate 275. Note the change in control city to Bradenton (some signs also use the control city of "Skyway" or "Sunshine Skyway.") Photo taken 06/29/07. Tropicana Field, home of the MLB Tampa Bay Rays, resides west of downtown St. Petersburg between 1st and 5th Avenues South. The stadium is accessible via both Exit 23B (Florida 595 east to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street [9th Street]) and Exit 22 (Interstate 375 east to 8th Street north). Photo taken 07/30/06. Florida 595 is a major route through Pinellas County. It originates at the intersection of 4th Street North (Florida 687/U.S. 92) and 4th/5th Avenues North, and it assumes the backing role for Alternate U.S. 19 west to Tyrone Boulevard, Bay Pines Boulevard, and Seminole Boulevard north to Largo. Photo taken 07/30/06. A second diagrammatical sign is placed here for the pending split between Interstate 275 and Interstate 375 (Exit 23A). Interstate 375 (North Bay Drive) east spurs to the Uptown neighborhood outside of downtown St. Petersburg. The freeway is signed the most direct route to both Baywalk, a downtown shopping center, and The Pier, St. Petersburg's municipal slip into Tampa Bay. Both offer night life attractions including The Pier Aquarium, bars, restaurants, and a movie theater. Photo taken 07/30/06. Southbound Interstate 275 reaches Exit 23B, Junction Florida 595/5th Avenue North. Use Florida 595 east to U.S. 92 and Florida 687, with connections into downtown. Florida 595 lies in the shadow of Interstate 375 for the entire duration of the short freeway. Photo taken 05/11/07. Descending to Florida 595 (5th Avenue North) at the Exit 23B half-diamond interchange of Interstate 275 south. Florida 595 leads west to U.S. 19 (34th Street North) at the beginning of U.S. 19 Alternate. U.S. 19 Alternate in fact used to travel east along Florida 595 to U.S. 92. Photo taken 05/11/07. U.S. 19 Alternate & Florida 595 (5th Avenue North) travel to Tyrone Boulevard. 5th Avenue North continues to Florida 693 (66th Street), which connects Pinellas Park with South Pasadena, St. Pete Beach, and Treasure Island via Central Avenue west. Photo taken 07/30/06. Southbound Interstate 275 reaches Left Exit 23A, Junction Interstate 375 east. Interstate 275 maintains six lanes through the stack interchange above 5th Avenue North (Florida 595). Interstate 375 meanwhile ventures east to the St. Petersburg Coliseum ahead of junction Florida 687 (4th Street South), one block south of U.S. 92's western terminus. Photo taken 06/29/07. Immediately after the Interstate 375 interchange is the left exit for Interstate 175 on southbound Interstate 275. Use Interstate 175 to reach Tropicana Field and Albert Whitted Airport. Photo taken 06/05/04. Interstate 175 (South Bay Drive) follows in close proximity to Interstate 375 as Interstate 275 south passes by Tropicana Field. Interstate 175 is the longer of the two spurs, tallying 1.44 miles versus 1.34 miles. Photo taken 12/23/03. Nearing the Exit 22 stack interchange with Interstate 175 east on Interstate 275 south. Interstate 175 carries motorists east to the Bayfront Center (home of Mahaffey Theater) and the University of South Florida Bayboro Campus. Photo taken 07/30/06. One quarter-mile north of the left-exit to Interstate 175 (Exit 22) east. Interstate 275 curves southwest from downtown to 28th Street South (Exit 21) and 22nd Avenue South (Exit 19) over the next two miles. Photo taken 05/27/05. Through traffic for Interstate 275 south must merge into the right two lanes, while the two left lanes exit onto Interstate 175 east. Ramps along South Bay Drive connect with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Campbell Park), 8th (Tropicana Field), 6th (Bayfront Medical Center), and 4th (Bayboro) Streets South southwest of downtown. Photo taken 12/23/03. Interstate 275 next meets 28th Street South at the Exit 21 half-diamond interchange near Palmetto Park. Photo taken 07/30/06. Reassurance shield posted for Interstate 275 after the Interstate 175 west end. Photo taken 07/30/06. 28th Street leads south to 18th Avenue South through at the Wildwood Heights neighborhood. 28th Street constitutes a through route all the way to 62nd Avenue North east of Lealman, serving a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Photo taken 07/30/06. The final three interchanges of St. Petersburg are highlighted on this mileage sign, 0.75 miles north of the Exit 21 split-diamond interchange with 22nd Avenue South (Pinellas County 138). Photo taken 01/01/06. 22nd Avenue South leads west to the city of Gulfport, the Stetson University College of Law, and South Pasadena (junction Florida 693). Pinellas County 138 carries four overall lanes along the route and with Florida 693, links St. Pete Beach with Interstate 275. Photo taken 07/30/06. Interstate 275 passes over 18th Avenue South at the Exit 19 off-ramp to Pinellas County 138 (22nd Avenue South) west. 22nd Avenue South east continues to the Lakeview and Harbordale areas of south St. Petersburg. Photo taken 03/22/07. Interstate 275 approaches Exit 17 with Florida 682 (54th Avenue South) west to the Pinellas Bayway and St. Pete Beach and 54th Avenue east to Catalina Gardens. Florida 682 connects the freeway with adjacent Eckerd College and Fort DeSoto Park (via Florida 679 south), a county maintained facility on the islands protruding outward into Tampa Bay. Photos taken 07/30/06 & 06/05/04. Florida 682 is the Pinellas Bayway, a tolled causeway that connects Interstate 275 and St. Petersburg with Gulf Coast communities such as Tierra Verde and St. Petersburg Beach, as well as Isle Del Sol, Mullet Key, and Gulf Beaches Historical Museum. Photo taken 07/30/06. Southbound Interstate 275 reaches Exit 17, Junction Florida 682/Pinellas Bayway west and 54th Avenue South east. Florida 682 travels west to Florida 699 (Gulf Boulevard) north of Pass-a-Grille. 54th Avenue South ends at 4th Street South at Bayou Heights. Photo taken 07/30/06. Interstate 275's carriageways invert as they cross over 54th Avenue South. The configuration was a compromise made to reduce effects of the freeway on adjacent Eckerd College's land. Photo taken 03/22/07. Exit 17 splits into separate ramps to Florida 682 west at Eckerd College and 54th Avenue South east east to Arlington Park. Florida 682 west is accessible from both ramps however. Photos taken 03/25/07 & 07/30/06. Pinellas Point Drive ties into Interstate 275 at Exit 16, the final St. Petersburg interchange. Leading east from Maximo Park, Pinellas Point Drive meanders along the Maximo Point and Pinellas Point areas on Tampa Bay. Photo taken 03/22/07. The two carriageways of Interstate 275 return to their normal orientation ahead of Exit 16. Exit 16 is also the last departure point before the Sunshine Skyway Bridge toll plaza. Photo taken 03/22/07. Exit 16 consists of a diamond interchange with Pinellas Point Drive at Skyway Lane, a northbound side frontage road serving several condominium complexes on Tampa Bay. Photo taken 03/22/07. U.S. 19 merges from 34th Street South onto Interstate 275 adjacent to Exit 16. The tandem continue south across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to Tierra Ceia in Manatee County. Photo taken 03/22/07. Southbound Interstate 275 reassurance shield posted ahead of the Dick Misener Bridge over the Main Channel. Notably absent is U.S. 19. Photo taken 10/15/07. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge southbound toll plaza lies one mile south of the Dick Misener Bridge approach. All passenger vehicles are charged $1.00. Photo taken 03/22/07. Towers of the Sunshine Skyway cable-stayed bridge come into view from Interstate 275 & U.S. 19 south over the Main Channel. The bridge opened in 1987 and was the first of many cable-stayed bridges now in use across the country. Notably Delaware 1's bridge over the C & D Canal and Interstate 295 over the James River are identical in design to the Sunshine Skyway. Photos taken 01/02/07 & 03/22/07. A relatively small toll plaza with only one Sunpass lane constitutes the southbound Interstate 275 & U.S. 19 toll barrier. Photos taken 03/22/07, 10/15/07 & 01/02/07. Continuing south on Interstate 275 and U.S. 19, the north skyway rest area is located on the island ahead. This is a good place to stop for a rest before crossing the cable stay bridge. The exit also serves Blackthorn Memorial Park, a monument commemorating the largest peacetime loss of life in United States Coast Guard History, the 1980 collision of the CGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) with the oil tanker S.S. Capricorn. Photo taken 03/22/07. After the toll plaza, southbound Interstate 275 and U.S. 19 enter the causeway as it approaches the main span of the bridge, which continues to be visible on the horizon. Photos taken 01/02/07 & 10/15/07. Exit 15 departs Interstate 275 & U.S. 19 to the north fishing area. There are two rest areas, with one on each side of the bridge. The northern rest area connects to the "fishing pier," which is actually the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The southern section of "fishing pier" does not connect to the northern section and is accessible from the southern rest area. Photo taken 03/22/07. Interstate 275 & U.S. 19 cross into Hillsborough County south of the north fishing area and reach the cable stay bridge, the Sunshine Skyway. Photo taken 01/09/05. Southbound Interstate 275 and U.S. 19 cross over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a spectacular cable stay bridge that replaced the twin truss bridges of the original skyway. There are two masts that support the crest of the bridge, with yellow cables that connect the bridge to the masts. As the highest point for miles, the view from the crest of this bridge is spectacular. The original skyway was partially destroyed in 1980 when the Summit Venture crashed into a main supporting pier, resulting in the collapse of the bridge. Much of the original bridge was removed, but the original causeway is visible to the west. Photos taken 12/00. Now within Manatee County, the next exit along southbound Interstate 275 & U.S. 19 is the South Skyway fishing pier and rest area. The fishing pier is in reality the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge approach. The two old highest truss bridge segments were removed in the 1980s and 1990s after the tragic boat collision that collapsed one of the bridges. Photo taken 12/00. These reassurance shields for southbound Interstate 275 and U.S. 19 are found along the freeway as it approaches Exit 5, Junction U.S. 19 (route divides). Note the unusually wide U.S. 19 shield. This is a rarity in Florida: an Interstate and U.S. co-signed routing. Photo taken 12/00. Southbound Interstate 275 approaches Exit 5 (former Exit 2), U.S. 19 to Palmetto (and Bradenton via U.S. 41). Northbound traffic stops at this point to pay the toll for the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Photo taken 12/00. U.S. 19 departs from southbound Interstate 275 at Exit 5, and it will end in Palmetto at its interchange with U.S. 41 only a few miles south of here. The exit is only 1/4 mile ahead. Photo taken 12/00. After U.S. 19 spins off, southbound Interstate 275 prepares for its own terminus, as it approaches its parent, Interstate 75. There are no "END Interstate 275" shields present, and no "countdown" signs indicating the distance until the end of the Interstate (compare to the countdown signs at the ends of Interstates 75, 175, 195, and 375). Photos taken 12/00. Page Updated October 23, 2008.