K-Bar Ranch Cut-Through Stays Shut While New Tampa Response Times Run About 10 Minutes

A "road closed" sign has stood at the end of K-Bar Ranch Parkway for months, holding up a cut-through meant to shorten trips to Morris Bridge Road while the surrounding New Tampa area keeps filling in with houses. City leaders said they expect the connection to open by the end of November.

Residents say the wait shows in their drive times. Robert Rodriguez, who works as an electrician, said he has watched crews raise more than 200 homes in the area in about two years. Google Maps puts the trip from one end of the construction site to the other at around 17 minutes.

"There's plenty of frustration," Rodriguez said. "Communities are being built, families are being moved in before a road is being done."

The unfinished road sits against a stretch of slow emergency calls. Fire stations 20, 21, 22 and 23 in New Tampa are averaging about 10 minutes to respond. Nick Stocco, president of the Tampa Firefighters Union, said crews should reach calls in four minutes or less.

"When someone calls 911, every second matters, whether it's a structure fire, cardiac arrest, or another life-threatening emergency," Stocco said in a statement. He added that the Morris Bridge Road link would help, and that K-Bar Ranch also needs a fire station, more firefighters and more response units.

Raj Anbu, a New Tampa resident, said a station in Cross Creek generally takes 15 to 20 minutes to reach. He also said a crash at one junction can halt traffic for 20 to 30 minutes. Rodriguez said the road should have been finished about a year ago.