Grrrr. Gridlock.
The gridlock might have subsided, but roadwork on Gulf Drive won’t wrap up for a couple of months.
Manatee County strategic affairs manager Ogden Clark told The Islander Feb. 25 that Tampa-based Harris-McBurney is set to finish replacing Force Main 1 in Bradenton Beach by the first week of May.
Work involves replacing 50-year-old water and sewer lines along Gulf Drive, Bay Drive South and Church Street, as well as Fifth and Sixth streets south, before restoring roadways.
The project has caused traffic jams, especially Feb. 18, when Gulf Drive was reduced to one lane to accommodate the construction of a manhole north of Fifth Street South.
Clark said work on Gulf Drive won’t require further lane closures until the roadway is resurfaced in the summer. He could not provide a time frame for that phase of the project.
The county moved forward with the force main replacement project because of concerns that the aging pipelines that serve the island may leak and result in spillage, according to Clark. He said the pipes required immediate replacement to prevent a spill, which could impact waterways surrounding Anna Maria Island.
Nevertheless, he said he understood the impact the work has had on traffic.
“We appreciate (motorists) bearing with us and understanding why the work has to be done,” Clark said.
Clark can be reached at ogden.clark@mymanatee.org or call him at 941-708-7450, ext. 7432.