No more sinkhole at last! Repairs begin on collapsed road at 23rd Street Plaza in Panama City
Samantha NeelyPANAMA CITY — Residents and business owners near the West 23rd Street Plaza can soon breathe a sigh of relief.
The 23rd Street Plaza intersection has been closed and repairs have finally begun after a road there partially collapsed during Hurricane Sally more than a year ago because of failed drainage pipes.
Panama City officials issued a statement Friday saying BCL Civil Contractors would prepare the drainage ditch for the installation of two new concrete culvert sections, which are expected to arrive by mid-to-late March.
In September 2020, part of Breezy Lane collapsed during the hurricane due to pressure on pipes from excessive rainfall and flash flooding. For over a year, traffic in the neighborhood has been temporarily rerouted without signal control through the 23rd Street Plaza shopping center parking area while the road crossing and culvert is “impassable.”
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Assistant City Manager Jared Jones said the pipe damage from Sally didn't become evident until the road started to give way.
"Originally that roadway was ... privately developed and the city did not own that," Jones said. "But realizing that it was imperative for us to restore that access into that neighborhood and to the residents and businesses and provide appropriate fire, EMS, and police coverage, the city took on the responsibility of restoring that roadway."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is funding 75% of the project, Jones said.
Once the city got approval from FEMA, crews had to design a box culvert, which would be a pre-manufactured structure delivered to the site. Jones said while the turnaround time for a box culvert is six to eight months, it provides increased capacity and flow for stormwater.
"We're building it back the right way, where it wouldn't be a problem in any of our lifetimes," Jones said. "That box culvert is actually the best solution for an area like that, with as much traffic as it gets and it's much better than a coordinated steel pipe that would break down over time. We'll solve the problem, never have that problem again in that area."
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It will take 45 days to complete the work and repave the roadway following the installation of the converts, according to the city's statement.
"That would be, this box culvert installed, the headwalls are installed and the roadway base is reinstalled and we've got fresh asphalt down," Jones said. "So, May. The beginning of May is where we've set the target date."
Jones said city officials know how much the project has inconvenienced residents and business owners in the area for more than a year.
"I just think this still maintains our commitment to the citizens after any disaster that these things are taken very seriously," Jones said. "This is part of our vital infrastructure cornerstone and we have certainly built this back better than what it was to prevent future issues."
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April 29, 2022 UPDATE
MAY 6, 2022 ALMOST READY!!
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