Drivers frustrated over ongoing Morris Bridge Road closure in Pasco County

UPDATE: After the story aired, Pasco County officials told Spectrum Bay News 9 Real Time Traffic Expert Tim Wronka that the road is now expected to open in the next couple of weeks, before the end of the year. 

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PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — The ongoing road closure at Morris Bridge Road and Chancey Road in Pasco County continues to frustrate drivers.

When Spectrum Bay News 9 last covered the issue, Pasco County officials said the road would be open in mid-September. As of Dec. 15, it’s still closed.

“It’s been terrible,” said Zephyrhills resident Karol McGinn. “And you just can’t predict how long it’s going to take you to get anyplace these days. So have a 15-minute drive? Count on at least 30. So it’s more than annoying.”

The road closed in June for repair work. Officials say a further evaluation showed that the water main there needs to be replaced. That’s what is causing the extra delay.

“It was supposed to be a couple months. Then it was a couple more months. Then a couple more months,” McGinn said.

Closing off this intersection has only increased congestion in east Pasco County, where there has been a lot of new development in places like Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel.

The work at Morris Bridge and Chancey Roads has led to even more traffic on surrounding roads like Coats Road and U.S. 301.

“It’s a miserable situation that has gone on way too long,” McGinn said.

Officials say there is no set timeline on when the repairs will be done. They say they will update the community when they know more. 

In addition, there’s now another closure on Morris Bridge Road. This one is in Hillsborough County, just south of Cross Creek Boulevard. That is set to reopen on Dec. 23.