Two northbound lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge were closed Friday morning during the rush hour as law enforcement activity slowed traffic near the Pinellas and Hillsborough county line. The lanes later reopened.
Florida Highway Patrol said the inside lanes were blocked near the county line, and FOX 13's Evan Axelbank said the closure was tied to the investigation into two University of South Florida students who have not been seen since April 16. Axelbank said evidence linked to the missing students was found on the bridge and taken to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office location on 28th Street North in St. Petersburg to be processed.
It was not clear what evidence was found on the bridge, but the closure turned a busy Friday morning commute into the latest sign that the missing-students case is still active. The northbound lanes reopened later Friday morning.
For drivers, the immediate disruption was brief. For investigators, the bridge closure showed that the search for answers had moved onto one of the region's busiest crossings and into a new phase focused on evidence.
