Some South Tampa residents are reaching out to our Driving Tampa Bay Forward tip line with concerns about a stretch of W. Wyoming Avenue near Al Chiaramonte Elementary School where a ditch is eroding and creating issues along the edge of the road.
Hunter Dixon has lived in the neighborhood since 2003. He says W. Wyoming Avenue between S. Himes Avenue and S. Sheridan Road has been patched over the years, but the time has come for a more permanent fix.
The two lane road borders a ditch and has several large washouts. Dixon would instead like to see the road widened and the ditch covered, or a barricade to protect drivers.
When ABC Action News crews initially visited, the city had placed signs and caution tape around the trouble spots.
“I don’t know what the priority is in the City of Tampa for this road, but I think it needs to be moved up because it’s very dangerous,” said Dixon.
After several weeks of calls and emails, the City of Tampa sent this update on Wednesday night:
Tomorrow, the Mobility Department Operations Division will repair three (3) large washouts and replace a total of approximately 50’ of asphalt curbing at the tree washouts. This is along the north-side (ditch side) of W. Wyoming Ave. between S. Himes Ave and S. Sherwood Ave. We understand the Wyoming Ditch is experiencing erosion issues, and we encourage residents to contact our Call Center Office at (813) 274-3101, so that we can issue a work order and assign a crew to stabilize as needed.
We are also aware that the Wyoming Avenue roadway is in need of attention. However, due to limited funding, the City has only been able to pave two or three neighborhoods each year. To ensure that we prioritize resources where needed most, the City is currently completing a comprehensive pavement condition assessment that includes every neighborhood in the City. We expect to have the results of this citywide pavement evaluation within the next few months. The locations can then be ranked and scheduled for repair. At this time, Wyoming Avenue is not on the current Resurfacing Schedule; however, we have surveyed the area and are reviewing options for a short-term repair along the edge of pavement. We will continue to use our innovative patcher truck to repair significant roadway defects until such time as the road can be resurfaced.
Dixon says he is disappointed to learn that there will not be any permanent fixes coming to the road anytime soon.
If you have a traffic issue you’d like Sarah Phinney to look into, reach out to our Driving Tampa Bay Forward tip line.
