The new Howard Frankland Bridge opens today, kicking off a whole new era for some 250,000 cars taking on the journey each day.

It's kind of a big deal. The ~$865 million project is the most expensive in Sunshine State history and the longest in square footage. Plus, Frankland is "by far the most traveled of the bay area bridges," according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

After five years of construction, the new and improved Howard Frankenstein features eight lanes — four for normal traffic, and four express lanes — plus a parallel bicycle/pedestrian pathway.

Since the first iteration of the bridge opened 60+ years ago, we wanted a better picture of what life in Tampa Bay was like back then:

1960

The President of the US was Dwight D. Eisenhower. Tampa was helmed by Mayor Julian Barnes Lane, who oversaw the paving of 200+ miles of streets and the desegregation of two local schools during his tenure. The Burg was led by Mayor Edward F. Brantley.
Black students, a lawyer, and a pastor staked out spots at the bar at the F.W. Woolworth on Franklin Street in late February, starting the legendary sit-in portrayed in "When the Righteous Triumph."
Also, in 1960, Tampa Armature Works, a phosphate machinery manufacturer, bought the Hillsborough River-front building from TECO. After the manufacturer moved out of the space, the building sat unused for a long while before becoming a popular food hall.
Tampa's population was 274,970, and St. Pete's population came in at 181,298, according to US Census data.