DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — UPDATE
9:25 p.m.
The Augustus D. Aikens, Jr. Leon County Courthouse and Leon County Annex are set to reopen to the public Wednesday, following the underground electrical fire near the courthouse early Tuesday, officials said in an update.
The fire, officials said, damaged county infrastructure, including the fiber-optic network. Some county services remain affected,
"County teams will be working overnight to restore full network connectivity, and we will keep the public informed as that work continues," Leon County Commission Chairman Christian Caban said in a release. "We are grateful to the first responders and emergency personnel who have worked throughout this incident to protect the public and restore essential services."
Some services at the courthouse may be limited until the networks is fully restored, officials said.
3:15 p.m.:
The City of Tallahassee says power has been restored to the downtown area. They say repairs to Monroe Street have been completed, area traffic signals reenergized, and the road has been reopened to traffic.
They say crews continue working, and Calhoun Street is on track to reopen to traffic later this evening.
The city says the investigation is ongoing, and a comprehensive root-cause analysis is underway
12:29 p.m.:
Northbound Lanes on Monroe Street have been reopened to traffic.
City of Tallahassee officials say say all lanes are expected to reopen Tuesday, weather permitting.
Original:
Multiple roads are closed and damaged in Downtown Tallahassee after an underground electrical fire Tuesday morning.
The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) and other agencies responded to the fire near Monroe Street and Apalachee Parkway. The City of Tallahassee says crews found several fires in the roadway and visible damage in the road. A possible gas leak was ruled out.
Local agencies implemented an electric service outage in the area as first responders worked to repair the damage. The outage impacted traffic signals and area buildings.
Officials anticipate road closures in the area will remain throughout the day, including on Monroe Street between Jefferson Street and Apalachee Parkway, as well as adjacent roads like Calhoun Street. Crews have installed generators to assist at key intersections.
TPD says parts of Monroe Street could reopen by early afternoon, but they have asked the public to continue to avoid the area if possible.
The Leon County Sheriff's Office released this road closure perimeter:
Current Road Closure Perimeters are:
South: S. Monroe/FAMU Way
West: Gaines St/S. Adams
East: Apalachee Pkwy/Franklin Blvd
North: Calhoun and N. Monroe St/ College Ave
The Leon County Courthouse and Leon County Annex are closed today due to ongoing public safety response near the Courthouse, according to Leon County officials.
The County also said, "The damage is disrupting several County services, including some County phone lines, the County website, text-to-911 and in-person visitation at the Leon County Detention Facility."
They added, some County phone lines (numbers beginning with 606) may have intermittent service. LeonCountyFL.gov is intermittently unavailable.
"For the safety of others, Leon County asks the public to not report to the Leon County Courthouse or Leon County Annex (315 S. Calhoun St.) until further notice," said the county in a press release.
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