TAMPA, Fla. — Nowadays, June Serralles spends a lot of time sweeping.
Friday afternoon, it didn't take long to fill her dustpan.
"Look at that; it's like so much dirt," she said after sweeping the kitchen floor.
She said there's a reason her floors are dirty and she leaves much of the furniture near her front door draped in plastic sheets: what's happening outside her home in Seminole Heights.
Her neighborhood street — East Caracas Street — and others across the neighborhood are active work zones as the City of Tampa upgrades underground stormwater infrastructure to prevent flooding.
Other streets in the area — including North Florida Avenue, West Crest Avenue, North Central Avenue and North Nebraska Avenue — have also been disrupted or will be disrupted by the work.
In late 2021, the city and Nelson Construction began the ambitious project that isn't projected to be completed until late 2024.
"I understand this has to be done — you know, the infrastructure — but you've got to consider the inconvenience we've been under," Serralles said.
It's not just the dirt.
Homes and yards have been damaged. For instance, after months of work, Serralles said the vibration has caused a fissure in the ceiling of her dining room. Outside her home, the unsightly stump of a tree removed by construction crews remains in her front year.
Serralles said she's also still cleaning up litter workers leave behind. Friday afternoon, it was easy to spot plastic wrappers, water bottles and even leftover lunch items near her home.
"It's been hard," she said. "It hasn't been easy."
Most frustrating to Serralles and her neighbors, however, isn't the dust or litter. Her street — Caracas — is still partially blocked as workers reinstall a long 72-inch diameter pipe installed incorrectly last year.
The error set the completion of the work on Caracas back months since a subcontractor had to remove and reinstall the improper pipe.
For months, Serralles and her neighbors have used narrow sandy alleys to access their homes while waiting for the pipe to be installed correctly underneath Caracas.
"When it's finished, we're all going to be very happy," she said.
That happiness could finally be coming soon, according to the latest details from a project spokesperson.
Audrey Clarke with Valerin Group — the city's public relations firm now tasked with providing frequent updates about the project — said the new piping has been fully installed underneath Caracas.
However, Caracas' intersection with Central Ave. remains closed because workers are still installing 32 feet of pipe on Central.
With that said, Clarke said Caracas should be passable before the end of April.
Still, even when "normal" returns to the area, Serralles and other neighbors said they wouldn't be satisfied until the city offers them appropriate compensation to offset the cost of frequent car washes, pressure washing, and re-landscaping of yards.
"The bottom line: it's been very difficult on the people," Serralles said.
Valerin Group is committed to providing frequent updates and fielding neighbors' concerns. The latest bulletin, which includes expected completion dates for other project sections, can be found at this link.
In addition, neighbors can call the project information line at (813) 580-5313. According to the project's website, the phone line is monitored 24/7.
