A massive water main break has forced city officials to completely shut down all northbound lanes of North 22nd Street between East Wilder Avenue and East Shadowlawn Avenue in Tampa.

Traffic Alert

The Tampa Water Department rushed crews to the scene early Wednesday morning to start emergency repairs on the ruptured pipe. City workers have already set up a maze of barricades and detour signs to guide drivers around the gridlock, but heavy delays are building up in the surrounding neighborhood.

According to city management, the completion of the work with a return to normal traffic patterns is expected by 4:30pm, Friday, June 12. However, that timeline is not set in stone. City officials warned that their progress depends entirely on the unpredictable Florida summer weather. Lightning or heavy downpours could easily push back the reopening time.

Even after the lanes crack open on Friday afternoon, drivers aren’t entirely out of the woods just yet. The water department noted that crews may need to return at a later date to complete additional work, promising to issue another public update if they have to block the road again for permanent paving or extra repairs.

Until Friday evening, your best bet is to avoid the area entirely and use North 15th Street or North 30th Street to bypass the closure.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.