Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

New highway worry: Nails fall from above

By BRIAN WHITE
Published August 2, 2005

TAMPA - First, drivers on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway had to worry about sealant, showering from construction above, that could mess up their car's paint jobs. Now, they may need to look out for more dangerous falling debris: nails.

The Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority has received two complaints from drivers who say nails on the roadway have punctured their tires, authority spokeswoman Beth Leytham said.

She said she didn't expect there to be many more complaints about the nails, which were being used along a "very limited" part of the construction of a new elevated highway above the Selmon Expressway.

Drivers on the expressway complained for several weeks about a sealant that workers were spraying on the elevated project. A mist from the spraying drifted down onto the road and spattered on the bumpers and hoods of passing cars.

The contractor spraying the sealant, which is designed to prevent mildew, agreed to pay drivers up to $100 to clean their cars. Leytham said everyone who has complained has been reimbursed, and that several whose costs were over $100 had the full amount paid for.

About two weeks ago, Leytham said there had been about 50 sealant complaints but did not expect there to be many more, but on Monday she said there had now been about 100 calls.

She said if a driver's car was damaged by nails on the expressway, the authority would work with them to "make it right" and pay for repairs.

Drivers should pay attention for any potential hazards on the expressway and drive defensively, she said.

The authority also has a team called Maintenance on Traffic that drives along the expressway to look for and clear debris from the construction project, Leytham said.

Drivers who have been affected by either nails or sealant on the Selmon Expressway can call the authority's public information officer, Lori Buck, at (813) 241-8910.

--Brian White can be reached at 813 226-3354 or bwhite@sptimes.com

[Last modified August 2, 2005, 02:45:17]