St. Johns Avenue “S-curve” receives drainage improvements that should fix flooding
$87,000 roadwork project expected to be completed by end of February
When it rains it doesn’t just pour, it floods into Vance Shrum’s yard.
“They’ve re-paved the road so often that it’s 6 to 8 inches above the original curve line. That has narrowed the entrance to the drain line, so it can’t handle the rain and it all runs into my yard,” said Shrum, who lives at 3831 St. Johns Ave., just at the “S-curve” between Pine Grove Avenue and Montgomery Place. “It’s just washing my yard away.”
But it looks like the fix is in the works.
The Florida Department of Transportation began an $86,970 drainage improvement project in the area on December 13 that is designed to alleviate the problem.
“The drainage improvements are intended to keep groundwater from seeping onto the sidewalk,” said Mike Goldman, FDOT Public Information Officer, in an email.
Although there was major roadwork completed along the curve just a few years ago, Goldman said that the two projects are not related.
“This [is] an enhancement which required additional design to improve the drainage. This was encountered after the earlier project began,” he explained.
“The FDOT had maintenance calls [and] it was determined by drainage specialists that a long-term fix was needed.”
Shrum said his house is the only one affected by flooding and noted that the problem became only “slightly worse” after that original project. He was one of those maintenance calls to FDOT and is impressed with their response.
“I kept complaining about water flowing through my yard and they listened to me,” said Shrum, who had already taken matters into his own hands by raising the sidewalk from the road to his house. “Now, it looks like they’re getting rid of the problem.”
Goldman said the work could cause one westbound lane to close between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., but that there will be no night work in the residential area of the project. He encouraged pedestrians to stay on the street’s south side to avoid the construction.
The project is currently scheduled to end Feb. 8, but Goldman cautioned, “This will likely be extended by several days since adverse weather prevents the contractor from working.” He also noted that the project’s price tag could increase slightly due to “minor” expenses incurred for protecting trees in the work area.
As far as Vance Shrum is concerned, surely no price is too large for getting his yard back.
Contact Mike Goldman at FDOT with questions: (904) 360-5457 or
[email protected]
By Steve DiMattia
Resident Community News
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