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Hillsborough County temporarily shutting down Morris Bridge Road

TAMPA — If your commute takes you on Morris Bridge Road, you might need to plan in some extra time.

Hillsborough County has a plan to temporarily close Morris Bridge Road from High Meadow Avenue to Corey Lake Boulevard around lunchtime on Thursday [Sept. 5] Officials say it’s to protect homes in Tampa and Temple Terrace from flooding.

The Tampa Bypass Canal system was activated on Wednesday to begin the process of transporting floodwaters to McKay Bay.

During this time, the Hillsborough River is expected to receive a significant amount of water from Cypress Creek and runoff.

Morris Bridge Road will stay closed until the Hillsborough River recedes, which county officials believe will happen in less than a week.

As of 3:30 a.m. on Thursday [Sept. 5], minor flood levels were being reported on the Hillsborough River.

While county officials had originally planned to shut down the road in the morning, they decided to wait until it was necessary.