‘It's ridiculous': Contractor problems leave South Tampa roads in ruin

Yahoo

6 days ago

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Betsy Smith and her husband Art have been living with a problem for more than two years on their quiet South Tampa street.
Many of the people who live on San Carlos Street are dealing with the same issue.
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Smith said the city sent them a letter in 2008, saying they would soon start a project to improve the water pressure and fire safety in the area.
'2008, we got our first letter from the city, saying they were going to redo the pipes, the water and the sewer lines,' Betsy Smith said.
Then the recession came and the project never started.
'It started again with a letter in there from May of 2023, saying that it was going to be a three-week project,' Betsy Smith said.
That was 104 weeks ago, and the project still isn't finished. In fact, the contractor doing the work has walked off the job.
San Carlos and other streets in the area have been torn up. There are holes in the streets, water pipes that aren't hooked up stick out of their yard and the water pressure in their homes is still low.
'Then they dug up the pavement, they dug up the curbing and drainage,' Betsy Smith said.
Frustrated, she called the city. 'And they were like, 'Oh, well, we're working on it',' Betsy Smith said.
In addition to the water pipes that aren't hooked up, there are two fire hydrants on the street that are not connected.
'The communication between the city and the neighborhood has been zero,' Betsy Smith said.
A city spokesperson issued a statement, saying:
'This project was designed to improve our water service to this community by replacing nearly 6 miles of aging pipeline and, by doing so, increasing water pressure, improving fire protection, and reducing future water main breaks. The City hired Young's Communication to complete the $5.37 million dollar project, and gave the go ahead to start work in late 2021. In April, however, the contractor stopped the project due to financial reasons, leading the City to declare Young's in default of its contract with the City.'
Now, no work is being done at all, and the Smiths and their neighbors are angry.
'It's ridiculous to be put off this long,' Art Smith said.
The statement from the city goes on to say, they are working to resolve the issue:
'City employees have submitted a claim against the construction company's performance bond and are working with its insurance company to hire a new contractor to finish the project at no additional cost to taxpayers.'
However, at this time, a new contractor has not been selected. Holes remain in San Carlos and other streets and there is no set date for when the situation will improve.
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