Residents along Balm Boyette Road will wake up to cranes, excavators and round-the-clock diesel pumps starting Monday, Aug. 10, as the South Hillsborough Pipeline project opens its newest construction segment on the east side of the road southwest of Woodland Spur Drive.
Crews from Garney Construction will first deliver heavy equipment and supplies to temporary and permanent easements, then begin installing shoring for a tunnel beneath Balm Boyette Road, according to a project update posted Aug. 3 by Tampa Bay Water.
The work brings several impacts for nearby homes:
- Traffic delays: Brief slowdowns during equipment deliveries and as trucks enter and exit the roadway. No long-term road closures are anticipated.
- Daytime noise: Construction activity from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
- Nighttime noise: Shallow dewatering wells will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using what the project team calls "noise-minimizing diesel pumps."
- Heavy equipment: Large cranes, excavators, control trailers and pipe materials will be staged on site.
Crews are scheduled to shift to the west side of Balm Boyette Road in mid-August. The construction team anticipates moving about 25 to 50 feet per day during open-trench work, meaning individual homes along the route are likely to be impacted for a few days to a week.
Dewatering and wells
The 24/7 pumps target the shallow water table, roughly 10 to 15 feet below ground. According to the project's construction FAQ, dewatering in any one area typically lasts one to two weeks and is not expected to affect nearby domestic or irrigation wells, which draw from a deeper confined aquifer.
According to the project's general FAQ, properties adjacent to the pipeline route were offered preconstruction interior and exterior surveys to document conditions before work begins. Vibration monitors are in place during construction; if limits are exceeded, the contractor is responsible for verified construction-related damages.
The bigger picture
The South Hillsborough Pipeline stretches 26 miles and will carry up to 65 million gallons of drinking water per day to fast-growing southern Hillsborough County. The total price tag is $505.7 million, with Hillsborough County funding an estimated $84 million for Segment B, which includes the Balm Boyette Road section. The Southwest Florida Water Management District has prioritized $145 million in co-funding, and the state has added $2.9 million in grants.
The pipeline is scheduled to be in service by late 2028, with final restoration expected by summer 2029. Construction began in November 2025.
Balm Boyette Road is one of 17 tunnel locations along the route. Tree trimming and removal along the east side of the road began July 20 to clear the corridor ahead of Monday's construction start.
How to stay informed
Residents can sign up for email alerts at SouthHillsboroughPipeline.com, email [email protected], or call (813) 485-6480. Variable message boards are placed two weeks before road closures, and door hangers go out about a week before construction reaches a home.
