Florida Construction News staff writer

The City of Tampa and its partners say infrastructure work in Virginia Park is nearly 90 percent complete and is scheduled to be finished in February 2024.

The city has been replacing old water pipelines underground, some of which have been around nearly a hundred years. Upon completion more than 20,000 feet of new pipe will have been installed, totaling more than 3.8 miles.

With new infrastructure, residents should see improved water pressure, water quality, and better fire protection.

Crews relied on pipe bursting, and Horizontal Directional Drilling to replace water mains. Pipe bursting is a method of replacing pipes that requires no digging and allows crews to simultaneously expand and replace the lines with high quality materials designed to last. Horizontal Directional Drilling is another trenchless construction method that has an entry pit and exit pit, and the new pipeline is pulled into place after drilling the hole horizontally.

This is part of the $92 million Tampa’s Neighborhoods Design Build Project. It was made possible through the PIPES program. PIPES is an acronym for Progressive Infrastructure Planning to Ensure Sustainability. The $2.9 billion funding plan will revitalize the city’s aging infrastructure, through large scale water and wastewater improvements.

Improving aging infrastructure has been a key focus for Mayor Jane Castor through her Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow initiative. Similar work has already been completed in Forest Hills, totaling 18,137 feet or 3.4 miles in the Forest Hills Neighborhood.