For years, local leaders have worked to mitigate chronic flooding in low-lying areas of the Florida Keys. Now, Monroe county commissioners have approved construction on a $21 million pilot project for road elevation in a chronically-flooded neighborhood.
Twin Lakes , in Key Largo , experiences frequent prolonged flooding during heavy rain, high tide and King Tide events. The neighborhood, and others like it across the island chain, are ground-zero for experiencing effects from sea level rise.
Over the next few months — late Summer or early Fall —construction to create a pump and treat storm water drainage system and elevate low-lying sections of roadway based on 2040 Sea Level Rise Projections will begin.
READ MORE: Sea levels are rising faster. Here’s what South Florida can expect
“I feel like we should have confetti right now,” said Commissioner Michelle Lincoln, who celebrated the board unanimously approving the construction contract on May 15.
“This has been such a long project and I’m just so appreciative of our staff for their diligence and their never giving up on us and this project and on Twin Lakes.”
Low-lying areas in the Upper Keys are prone to frequent flooding with effects that range from inconveniences like damage to cars to serious consequences like difficulty making it to doctor's appointments for seniors. This includes the Stillwright Point neighborhood, which caught national attention for becoming flooded for 94 days straight in 2019.
The project, which has been in development since it was originally approved by the commission in November 2016, is expected to cover 105 homes on Shaw Drive, Crane Street and Adams Drive.
It encompasses 4,633 linear feet of roadway, according to a county spokesperson.
The contract was awarded to Ferreria Construction Co., Inc. It amounts to about $21 million, with about $9 million of that covered by the county.
The majority of the contract is being funded by two different state grants from the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Florida Department of Environmental Management. The project also funds water main replacement by the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority in the area.
“At many steps along the way, I never imagined that we would ever put together the money for this project,” said commissioner David Rice. “It’s been a rough, long road, and many to follow.”
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