Another drilling mishap will close part Manatee Avenue West in downtown Bradenton

Another drilling error by a contractor will shut down lanes at the intersection of Manatee Avenue West and 14th Street West in Bradenton beginning next week.

A depression just off of the center line in the northbound lane of 14th Street, just north of Manatee Avenue, began to appear this week after contractors performed some directional drilling work. City officials were not able to immediately identify the contractor responsible or the work being done when the mishap occurred.

The directional drill went through the crown of a 12-inch gravity sewer line, public works reported after sending a camera through the line to determine the cause of the road depression.

Small barricades are currently in place over the depression, but all lanes will remain open until a contractor has been secured to make the repairs. Jeannie Roberts, the city’s communications coordinator, said the shutdown could begin as early as Wednesday.

The repairs are expected to take two to three days and northbound motorists will not be able to cross Manatee Avenue West on 14th Street West during the closure. Drivers heading west on Manatee Avenue will have to adjust and be prepared to merge to the left when approaching the intersection.

In August, another contractor doing directional drilling punched a hole into a water mainline at Manatee Avenue West and 10th Street West.

The ensuing puncture flooded the road, destroyed the pipe and took out two Florida Department of Transportation electrical boxes that controls the nearby traffic lights. Manatee Avenue was closed for three days while 10th Street West at the intersection was shut down for weeks.

This story was originally published January 4, 2019 at 1:25 PM.