Interstate 275 (abbreviated I-275) in Florida serves the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. I-275 measures 63.39 miles (102.01 km) in length. While the parent route, Interstate 75, bypasses the metropolitan area to the east, I-275 runs through Downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida.
Its northern terminus is I-75 in Wesley Chapel. It runs south through the northern suburbs into downtown Tampa, then west across the Howard Frankland Bridge through St. Petersburg, then south across the modern Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Both bridges cross Tampa Bay, and the Sunshine Skyway charges a toll. The southern terminus is I-75 near Palmetto.
Just north of the Sunshine Skyway in Gulfport, drivers briefly drive on the left side as the freeway's lanes invert for about 1/2 mile (about 1 km) at the U.S. 19/Pinellas Bayway exit (Exit 17).
The only major interchange on I-275 is with I-4, just north of downtown Tampa. Known locally for years as "Malfunction Junction", the interchange quickly became full of daily rush hour backups due to the sprawling growth of the Tampa Bay area and the lack of capacity that the interchange had. In October 2002, a major overhaul of the interchange began. This included roadway widening, bridge work and relocation, lighting, drainage, and signage improvements, and miscellaneous cosmetic work. The project was completed on December 22, 2006.
