Portion Of Morgan Johnson Road Closed Due To Heavy Rains

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — High volumes of rain Wednesday morning led to the temporary closure of Morgan Johnson Road (57th Avenue East) between State Road 64 and 13th Avenue East.

Manatee County Public Works staff received reports or rising water along Morgan Johnson Road just south of SR 64 around 8:45 a.m., the county said in a news release.

Shortly after this, county highway staff saw hazardous roadway conditions when they visited the area and made arrangements to close the road.

“This morning, Manatee County stormwater and highway maintenance crews were called upon to assist with temporary actions to stabilize the area and close the roadway until the water subsides,” Chad Butzow, director of Manatee County’s Public Works Department, said in a statement. “We experienced an enormous amount of rainfall over the last 24 hours, with many areas seeing well over four inches in that period.”

The closure will remain in effect for several hours Wednesday and drivers should monitor the county’s website and social media pages for updates about when the road will reopen, the county said.

Drivers should detour using 13th Avenue East and 65th Court East until the roads reopen.

There are no other closed roads in unincorporated areas of Manatee County. However, standing water and pooling can make some roads impassable during and after a strong rainstorm.

Drivers should use caution whenever roads are wet, and that they avoid driving through standing water, the county said. Manatee drivers can report local flooding by calling 941-708-7497.