Major Road In Tampa Closing
There is a major road in Tampa closing today. If you drive in and around the Northeast part of the county, you’re going to need to give yourself some extra time in the next couple of days. Hillsborough County officials are closing Morris Bridge Road today (Thursday 8/08), This is because of all the rising water that is flooding parts of the county.
The water level is rising on the Hillsborough River and until the water starts to recede, Morris Bridge Road will be closed. This is a major road in Tampa closing. Thousands of cars travel on this road to get to 75 from Fletcher. Morris Bridge Road will be closed between High Meadow Avenue and Corey Lakes Boulevard and will remain closed until the water recedes. The County encourages residents who use the roadway to plan for an alternate route. Not only that, plan to spend more time in traffic as other routes will be backed up due to the higher volume of traffic.
Detours around the closure have been posted to help rivers navigate around the closures. Message boards are in the area urging caution when water is in the roadway.
The county has also opened up the Tampa bypass canal. This was activated to prevent flooding in Temple Terrace and Tampa. Southwest Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) activated the bypass canal North of Morris Bridge Road and east of I-75 at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
SFWMD says that opening of the bypass canal will stop part of the flow of the Hillsborough River before it reaches Temple Terrace and Tampa. The water is instead stored in an empty reservoir known as the (Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (HFDA).
According to the National Water Prediction Service, the Hillsborough River at Morris Bridge is currently at 31.29 feet. It is expected to peak at 32.40 feet on Friday, which is considered minor flood stage. So, it sounds like it could re-open soon, if the water recedes, but time will only tell.
The water in the Hillsborough river could take a week to recede.