Motorists heading south on U.S 41 through Lutz will notice that the right lane has been closed from just north of Crenshaw Lake Road to slightly south of Crystal Lake Road, as workers install a new 12-inch water pipe.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Crews have started work on a $5.4 million Hillsborough County project that calls for laying 4.5 miles of pipeline to improve water reliability and quality for the Manors of Crystal Lake. The project also lays the groundwork for future connections to the county’s water system by other Lutz customers.
Traffic will continue to flow through the community, but there will be fewer lanes while the pipeline is being installed, said Lloyd Horton, the county’s project manager.
The entire project should be completed by early 2015, Horton said.
The road will be restored to a drivable condition and then the Florida Department of Transportation will do a resurfacing project on U.S. 41, which also will cause traffic disruptions.
The state DOT’s resurfacing project on U.S. 41 is expected to begin around October. The $12 million project will involve road resurfacing, drainage work, signal improvements and CSX rebuilding the railroad track crossing on U.S. 41, said FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson.
The county water project will use a looped system, giving Manors of Crystal Lake residents a backup in the event of any disruptions, said county section manager Rick Kirby.
The Manors of Crystal Lake already is a part of the county’s water system, but has been served by two wells. Those wells and a nearby chlorination plant will be shut down once the new waterline begins operation, according to the county’s website.
The water flow also will be improved with the new line, bringing it up to the current standards for fire protection.
The waterline project will be completed in three segments:
• From the west side of Florida Avenue, from West Chapman Road to approximately 250 feet north of Lake Drive.
• From approximately 1,200 feet south of Crenshaw Lake Road, along the west side of U.S. 41 to Crystal Lake Road. One branch will continue west along the north side of Crystal Lake Road to the point of connection at Clear Lake Drive.
The other branch will cross beneath the CSX railroad tracks and U.S. 41, from just north of Crystal Lake Road to the east side of U.S. 41, to the point of connection just north of Sunset Lane.
• From the connection point just south of Fourth Avenue S.E. on the east side of U.S. 41 to just south of First Avenue S.E. The pipeline will cross beneath U.S. 41 and the CSX railroad tracks to the corner of First Avenue S.W., and First Street S.W. Then, the pipeline will continue north along the east side of First Avenue S.W., to Lutz Lake Fern Road, and along the south side of Lutz Lake Fern to just east of North Dale Mabry Highway.
Flagman will direct traffic when work is done on Lutz Lake Fern, Horton said. That portion of the project will take up to four months.
Lutz residents and passersby also may have noticed that some trees have been removed from medians on U.S. 41. Four trees were removed March 24 in a median near Fifth Avenue because they failed to meet state safety standards. Two others were removed from the apex because they were dead.
Those removals kept with the county’s previous announcement that it would need to take out some trees that either posed safety problems or were diseased.
Published April 23, 2014
