Residents and motorists who use Morris Bridge Rd. should prepare for another full road closure tomorrow — Monday, February 16 — as Hillsborough County continues stormwater repairs along the corridor.
According to electronic message boards already placed along the roadway, Morris Bridge Rd. will be closed from February 16 through Monday, February 23, to allow crews to replace an under-road culvert immediately north of Cory Lake Blvd. The culvert currently is covered by steel plates.
This closure follows the Dec. 8–Dec. 22 shutdown near Bonnet Hole Dr., discussed in our January issues, which frustrated many residents due to long detours and limited alternative routes. That work occurred roughly a quarter-mile north of the upcoming project area.
-What’s Being Done
The current project involves removing and replacing an aging 30-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), cleaning and sealing a nearby catch basin, replacing the end treatment and restoring pavement per county standards. The project budget totals $230,000, all allocated to construction.
Hillsborough County has emphasized that Morris Bridge Rd. is particularly vulnerable to flooding. In a December update on their website, the county noted what residents knew— that the roadway was compromised during a 100-year flood event when Hurricane Milton struck in 2024, underscoring the need for continued stormwater improvements.
The road runs through the Hillsborough River Watershed, one of the county’s largest, and contains multiple drainage systems beneath the pavement designed to move heavy rainfall toward the river. Its location within the floodplain — and its seven-mile stretch with few intersections — also explains why detours are unusually long whenever the road is closed.
-Traffic Impacts & Access
During the closure:
• Morris Bridge Rd. will be fully shut down from Cory Lake Blvd. to approximately 800 feet north at Cedar Cove Dr.
• The eastern entrance to Cory Lake Isles — Cory Lake Blvd. — will remain accessible to traffic traveling to and from I-75.
• Only local traffic will be permitted southbound past Cross Creek Blvd.; non-local traffic will be detoured west toward Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
• All Hillsborough County parks along Morris Bridge Rd. located south of the construction zone will remain open, but access will be from I-75 only, with drivers required to return the same way.
County officials have previously stated that full closures allow work to be completed faster and more safely than staged lane closures on narrow, two-lane roads like Morris Bridge Rd.
As Hillsborough County continues stormwater repairs along this critical corridor, residents should expect additional periodic disruptions and plan extra travel time during closure periods. Additional stormwater-related work on Morris Bridge Rd. is anticipated later in 2026.