Woodberry Road and Limona Road are open again at Lakewood Drive after crews finished tunneling a water pipeline underneath the intersection.

The South Hillsborough Pipeline project announced the reopening Tuesday, Aug. 25. Woodberry Road now carries through traffic between Falkenburg Road and Lakewood Drive. Limona Road is open between Lakewood Drive and Bates Street.

The reopening follows months of closures tied to microtunnel installation beneath Lakewood Drive, one of 17 tunnel sites along the 26-mile pipeline route. Tampa Bay Water, which runs the project, uses tunneling at major road crossings so crews can thread a 5-foot-diameter steel pipe underground without shutting down traffic above.

The relief may be temporary.

Crews are scheduled to begin open-trench construction on Woodberry Road in mid-2027, starting at Falkenburg Road and working eastward to Limona Road, according to the project's official website. That phase of construction on Woodberry and Limona roads is expected to last about a year.

About 24 of the pipeline's 26 miles will be installed by open-trench methods, according to Tampa Bay Water. The agency's board approved a $216.7 million contract with Garney Companies for the open-cut work and restoration. Earlier approvals totaling $185.8 million covered materials and tunneling. The full project carries a $505.7 million price tag, with up to $84 million funded by Hillsborough County.

Brandon Moore, Tampa Bay Water's communications manager, explained the project's purpose in a January 2026 Bay News 9 report: "We see a lot of growth (with) more homes being built, more people moving into southern Hillsborough County. That means a greater need for water … not only for residents but for businesses, hospitals, schools, fire rescue, and other essential services."

The full pipeline will carry up to 65 million gallons of drinking water per day to south-central Hillsborough County, serving both the Lithia Water Treatment Plant and a planned county drinking water plant in the Balm area. Tampa Bay Water expects the pipeline to go into service in late 2028, with construction completed in summer 2029.

The pipeline project has caused a string of road closures across the South Shore area. Ronele Drive closed at South Kings Avenue on Aug. 10 for construction work. South Kings Avenue was shut down overnight Aug. 16 between Lumsden Road and Bloomingdale Avenue for restriping and reopened the morning of Aug. 17.

Residents can sign up for construction alerts by emailing [email protected] or calling (813) 485-6480.