TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa drivers have two new unexpected obstacles to navigate this Wednesday morning. The Tampa Water Department has launched emergency repairs on water main breaks in two separate neighborhoods, forcing immediate lane closures that will affect the mid-week commute.
The first bottleneck will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Westshore area. Crews have shut down the northbound lane of North Manhattan Avenue. If you travel this route, expect the closure to run the stretch between West Spruce Street and West Boy Scout Boulevard.
Just thirty minutes later, a second repair zone will be established in East Tampa. Starting at 9:00 a.m., the outside westbound lane of East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be blocked off between North 24th and North 27th Streets. Drivers in that specific area also need to look out for a closure on the southbound lane of North 26th Street, extending from East Ida Street down to the intersection with MLK Blvd.
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When will it end?
City officials aim to have traffic patterns back to normal by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 23.
However, officials warn that this timeline depends heavily on the weather. While the goal is a complete fix by Friday, the Water Department noted they might need to return at a later date to finish additional work if the damage is extensive.
Barricades and detour signs are already up to guide traffic around the breaks. Drivers are urged to slow down and stay alert for workers on the road.
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