Florida Street To Finally Reopen

The City of Mobile says Florida Street will reopen this week. But business owners say they'll believe it when they see it.

Construction crews have tied up traffic along Florida Street for more than two years. Since then drivers have had to deal with road closures and detours.
Today, crews poured pavement on the stretch of Florida Street between Emogene and Dauphin Street. On Friday the City says both sides of the street will finally be open to traffic. In the meantime, business owners are holding their breathe.
"It's been really frustrating having to spend so much money on advertisement [and] not getting the drive by traffic is something we rely on especially with the economy being the way it is,"Said Courtney Dyke with Lola Bell's Pet Grooming.

The City says they are still working on getting a permit to work on an area near the railroad tracks between Emogene and Dauphin Street. Until then the road will be open to through traffic. The Florida Street drainage project has cost the City of Mobile nearly 3 million dollars.