Kinney Tunnel fully reopens after high water shuts key traffic artery in downtown Fort Lauderdale

Downtown Fort Lauderdale experienced a bit more chaos than usual Tuesday morning after the city shut down the Kinney Tunnel due to high water amid a search for a burglary suspect and reports of an active shooter at the library.

The tunnel flooding and the search remained active well into Tuesday afternoon, while police determined the threat to the library to be false.

The tunnel, which takes U.S. 1 beneath the New River and Las Olas Boulevard, fully reopened Tuesday night, the city said in a Facebook post.

The Florida Department of Transportation used pumps to remove the flooding water, and in the process, found that one of the tunnel’s permanent pumps was damaged.

The City of Fort Lauderdale said in a tweet Tuesday morning that streets were flooding in some areas because of king tides and the record-breaking amount of daily rainfall in South Florida on Sunday.

The city’s statement said the Department of Transportation was working to fix the damaged pump.

Less than a mile away, the Broward County Main Library shut down temporarily due to reports of an active shooter. Police determined there was no threat at the building at 100 S Andrews Ave.

“There was no active shooter at the Main Library,” library officials reported in a tweet. “The library was temporarily locked down, but police determined there was no threat in the building.”

In the meantime, Fort Lauderdale Police had also set up barricades downtown due to an active search for a vehicle burglary suspect, adding to the congestion caused by the tunnel closure and creating some confusion over what was causing what.

“The suspect fled from officers,” said Detective Ali Adamson, a spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale Police. “A perimeter was established and a search for the suspect was conducted. The suspect was not located. The investigation is ongoing.”