CLEARWATER, Fla. — Drivers heading toward the beach or the downtown core should prepare for significant headaches starting this weekend. A major traffic artery in Clearwater is about to become a bottleneck as city crews rush to repair crumbling infrastructure beneath the roadway.
Starting overnight on January 19, three of the four westbound lanes on Court Street will shut down to traffic. The closure is expected to last approximately two weeks.
The disruption is necessary to replace failing sanitary sewer manholes located directly under the street. According to city officials, the damage requires immediate attention, involving the installation of a sanitary sewer bypass main and a complete rebuild of the sewer infrastructure in that section.
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The closure zone stretches from the intersection of Court Street and South Prospect Avenue through South Garden Avenue. With only one westbound lane open, heavy congestion and long wait times are expected during peak hours.
To minimize the duration of the pain for commuters, city contractors plan to work on an aggressive 24-hour schedule, including weekends, to get the job done as quickly as possible.
Officials are strongly urging motorists to avoid Court Street entirely if possible. Recommended alternate routes to access downtown and Clearwater Beach include:
- Drew Street
- Fort Harrison Avenue
- West Bay Drive
- Gulf Boulevard
Message boards and signs along State Road 60 will be active to warn approaching drivers and help direct traffic around the construction zone. Drivers are also asked to be extra cautious regarding pedestrian traffic, particularly near the Pinellas Trail intersection.
The project is slated for completion in two weeks, though the timeline remains pending due to potential weather or construction delays.
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