Hey TBAY, City Editor Bailey here — one of the lucky ones without a morning commute. Well, I guess that depends on how you feel about that daily trek to and fro the brick and mortar palace of business.

But when a new major Tampa Bay bridge opens for the first time in decades, you must cross it. I headed out on Monday and Tuesday mornings to compare the commuting experience on both the new + old Howard Frankland Bridge.

The terms

As with any good experiment, I maintained the same controls on both Monday, March 24 + Tuesday, March 25 drives. Consistency is key.

I left from Curtis Hixon Park at 8:30 a.m.
Routed Apple Maps to Kenwood
Chugged my same blend of cold brew + half-and-half while leaving the house
Popped on the same playlist (Bailey's Brand-new Bridge Crossing Mix)

The old view headed over the Howard Frankland Bridge to St. Pete. | Photo by TBAYtoday

Monday, March 24

The ever-so-helpful Apple Maps predicted my route to the Burg would take 33 minutes. I snailed down Ashley Drive, realizing the bulk of the traffic would probably be at either side of the HF, per usual.

I've got to be honest. The construction's been going on so long, I found it hard to picture the structure without the barges clumped alongside both sides, gobs and gobs of sand stacked in the middle, and the barrage of cones and barricades.

As Maggie Rogers launched into first lines of "Horses," I leaned into the nostalgia of the moment (It's who I am). Reminiscing on dozens of trips down the popsicle stick of a bridge with my family heading to St. Pete Beach — looking out at the sea of unmoving blue.

I'm sure it's ever-present in many of your local memories too. However, the new Howard Frankland will likely live an even longer life, expected to ferry a century's worth of residents across Tampa Bay. Plus, the new parallel walkway for cyclists and pedestrians will allow for even more memories.

The drive was shorter than predicted — getting me to Kenwood in just 29.38 minutes — but just as bumpy and chaotic as usual. I, for one, will not miss squeezing past the construction barricades.

Tuesday, March 26

Far more cars were on the road than Monday, almost like even residents without a commute came out to test the new attraction. Apple told me it would take 36 minutes to get to the bungalow colony that is Kenwood.

Even before I crossed from Tampa onto the bridge, warning signals alerted me of the "new traffic pattern." Scared I would miss the moment, I darted my eyes side to side (more than normal) scanning for any changes.

Then it happened. The fresh black asphalt ended and I drove onto what felt like a crisp white bridge into Olympus. The new concrete beneath my tires was unblemished. Even though there were still a fair amount of workers, cones, and trucks lining the new segment — the drive felt fresh and far smoother.

The commute time? Thirty-four minutes and 33 seconds. We'll work on that.