South Tampa water main break shuts down parts of Gandy and Himes

TAMPA, Fla. - A water main break has shut down a busy South Tampa intersection, and it could be awhile before it's back open. For drivers, it'll mean having to find a detour and for a few businesses, it could mean thousands of dollars lost on a busy weekend. 

The break at Himes Avenue and Gandy Boulevard turned the intersection into a mound of dirt and asphalt Thursday evening.

"As to what caused it, we are not yet certain," said Sonia Quinones, communications coordinator with the Tampa Water Department. "You just have to keep digging until you figure out, okay, this is the source."

While the Tampa Water Department investigates and makes repairs, all travel lanes on South Himes are closed between West Hawthorne and West Marlin. Also closed are all lanes on West Gandy between South Dale Mabry and South Sherwood. It's expected to stay that way until Tuesday at 5 p.m.

"One of the things that happens on the weekends is that we cannot access our sources for asphalt, especially on a holiday weekend," Quinones said. "Monday is when we need to begin road restoration in the area."

Caught in the middle are businesses like Big Island Poke and Vino E Pasta. 

"No traffic, nobody can come into my place, even my neighbor right there," said Luis Zamora, owner of Vino E Pasta, which has been in business for 18 years. They're left with an empty dining room, heading into what should be a busy Easter weekend.

"I'm losing real money," said Zamora. "Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, the best days of the week and the best weekend. It's probably $30,000." 

Though a few customers made the trek over, Vino E Pasta likely won't dish out much linguini or lasagna until roads are back open.

"I need to close. I cannot keep this open. For what?" Zamora said.

In the meantime, the city's asking drivers to plan ahead and map out a detour.

"It looks a lot more torn up than I would've expected," said Carrie Schuldt who was out walking her dog. "There's never a dull moment on Gandy between the tanker truck that spilled over, and construction that is happening, or racing motorcycles at night."

The city was able to reduce the flow of water to the area. Fortunately, they didn't have to shut down water to neighbors and businesses, nor have they had to issue any water notices. Once traffic is back to normal, the Tampa Water Department says they may need to return later to complete additional work