ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Construction work is ongoing in St. Petersburg as the city works to repair a cracked sewage main responsible for leaking sewage water into Riviera Bay.
According to the latest update from city officials Tuesday afternoon, crews have determined that the whole mile-long section of pipe that crews have been working on since Sunday, Aug. 20, needs to be completely replaced.
"The City had already budgeted and planned to replace this entire section of pipe in FY 2025, but the City will now accelerate the $3-million replacement project and start the work as soon as possible," officials said.
The leaking pipe had discharged about 10,000 gallons of wastewater into Riviera Bay by the time crews stopped the leak by installing a clamp on Monday, Aug 21. The next step will be to install a temporary bypass pipe alongside the existing one to keep the sewage main running until the old pipe is completely replaced. This entire process is expected to take approximately two years to finish.
Residents near Riviera Bay can expect continued construction along the Patica Road NE and San Martin Boulevard NE intersection, as well as Tallahassee Drive N. The intermittent road closures on the San Martin Boulevard Bridge will continue, as they have since the start of the repair efforts. Though officials say they will make "every effort" to keep traffic disruption to a minimum.
Meanwhile, officials have said they will provide timeline and construction updates to the public all throughout the process.
"The City of St. Petersburg apologizes for the inconvenience and appreciates your patience and cooperation," city officials said in their press release.
They still advise the public to stay away from Riviera Bay until further notice and water quality testing is completed.