Sewer work creating pitfalls for traffic flow

Crews are beginning some excavations that will tie up busy streets for some time.

By JON WILSON

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- It's heads-up time for motorists.

Projects causing traffic bottlenecks are under way at three locations around the city, the major one being a massive storm drain project on Fourth Street S between Seventh and 15th avenues.

"This is a great big job," said Mike Connors, the city's engineering and stormwater director.

And hold on to your hats, drivers. The project, part of the Bayboro District streetscape program, is going to last the rest of the year.

Officials recommend that motorists who normally use this section of Fourth Street find another north-south route.

"Ninth Street would be an alternative we would recommend," Connors said.

Meanwhile, sewer work is taking place on 54th Avenue S from 31st Street to the southwest wastewater treatment plant, 3800 54th Ave. S., and on Beach Drive NE between Seventh and 10th avenues.

Bill Johnson, head of the city's wastewater department, is quite familiar with one of those. He uses the intersection of 54th Avenue S and 31st Street, where a sewer cleaning job was in progress last week. Johnson said he got stuck in traffic backed up at the junction, a very busy corner.

"It took me four light changes to get through," he said.

Here's a closer look at each project:

Fourth Street S: The $2.6-million job started last week and is expected to last until Dec. 1, Connors said.

Two large box culverts will be installed in the middle of the street, but before that happens, underground utilities such as sewers, water mains and electric lines will have to be located. That part of the work is expected to take four months.

The restoration phase will include trees and decorative lighting for the Bayboro district, which is just south of downtown and includes the University of South Florida campus.

54th Avenue S: A sewer-cleaning project involving 30- and 54-inch pipelines should last another couple of weeks, officials said.

But traffic flow should improve because work will proceed only one manhole at a time, said wastewater supervisor John Turner. Last week, there were open manholes, workers and machinery at two locations a block apart.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Transportation has put up barriers and warning signs on nearby U.S. 19 and the Interstate 275 interchange.

Beach Drive: Preparations started last week and actual sewer repair work starts Monday. It should take just a few days, Turner said.

The big pipe you see down the middle of Beach is the bypass pipe, the substitute line used while the work goes on.

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