TAMPA - Orange cones and merge signs line Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa as roadwork begins for a major drainage project by the Florida Department of Transportation.

FDOT will work on a 1.8-mile stretch of Kennedy Boulevard from Willow Avenue to Henderson Boulevard in order to replace drainage along the roadway. As they prepare for the work to begin for the $23 million project, they are reducing lanes and shifting traffic.

"The contractor tells us they’ll be ready next week to make the traffic shift. For the first six months, traffic will be shifted to the north, and all the workers will be in the south area. That’s just phase one," said Kris Carson, spokesperson for FDOT Tampa.

The roadway has drainage issues during heavy rainstorms, so the state wants to improve the drainage system.

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