By Maribel Medina
As Tampa Bay Water continues construction of the new South Hillsborough Pipeline, a choreographed sequence of preparation, installation, inspection and restoration helps keep traffic moving and residents, shoppers and drivers safe.
First, preparation work crews ready a specific area by locating utility lines in the pipeline’s path, scraping asphalt from roads and removing landscaping. Dewatering systems are installed to ensure the ground is dry before excavation. Then, the installation crew installs the pipeline that can be up to 5 feet in diameter. After the pipe is welded together underground and every weld is inspected, a restoration crew follows behind to repave roads, install landscaping and make the work area as good as new.
To ensure the 26-mile pipeline is completed by the end of 2028, work simultaneously occurs at different locations along the route. At every stage, the overriding goal is to keep everyone informed and safe.
For example, there will be 17 tunnels under roads and bodies of water to keep traffic moving on major roads and to protect wildlife. One of those tunnels is under State Road 60 at West Robertson Street, where crews worked around the clock to install the pipe in a tunnel approximately 22 feet beneath the road as the traffic above continued to flow. Six tunnels along the route have been completed to date.
Communication and coordination are vital to keeping everyone safe and minimizing inconveniences. Two weeks before any digging, digital message boards alert drivers to upcoming changes in traffic patterns. Notifications are sent to nearby homes and businesses, which also can receive temporary signs reassuring customers they are still open.
Every step of the way, public safety officials, including fire and law enforcement, are kept informed so they know the quickest routes to provide help. So are local schools, school officials, hospitals and other medical providers. We are all working together to keep everyone safe as we work on this pipeline that will deliver drinking water vital to South Hillsborough’s future.
Remember: Anyone can go to https://southhillsboroughpipeline.com/ to sign up for email alerts about pipeline construction or check upcoming construction dates, road closures and detours. Your safety is our top priority.
