Saxon Blvd. repairs delayed by stormwater-system woes

BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
Still holes — More than eight months after Tropical Storm Fay left gaping holes in the shoulder of Saxon Boulevard, and more than a month after repairs were supposed to begin, holes remain.

BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
Still holes — More than eight months after Tropical Storm Fay left gaping holes in the shoulder of Saxon Boulevard, and more than a month after repairs were supposed to begin, holes remain.

BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
Still holes — More than eight months after Tropical Storm Fay left gaping holes in the shoulder of Saxon Boulevard, and more than a month after repairs were supposed to begin, holes remain.

By Al Everson
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted May 7, 2009 - 1:02:36pm

More than eight months after Tropical Storm Fay left gaping holes in the shoulder of Saxon Boulevard, and more than a month after repairs were supposed to begin, holes remain.

"We found some underground pipe problems," Volusia County Engineer Gerald Brinton said.

The difficulties involve cuts and holes in stormwater-drainage pipes made over the years in connection with commercial development along Saxon Boulevard.

As more and more businesses tapped into water and sewer lines, contractors inadvertently damaged the corrugated-metal stormwater pipes, Brinton said.

"It's like a bedsheet. Once you get a little rip, if you apply more pressure, it gets bigger," he said. "We videoed the whole system, and it takes time to analyze it. ... The integrity of the pipes has been breached."

Brinton said the problems are related to the large volume of rainwater that flowed through the system during Fay.

The additional problems will drive up the cost of repairing the road by as much as $120,000, Brinton estimated. The initial contract for repairs was for $83,616.50.

The County Council selected Barracuda Building Corp., of Apopka, as the contractor in February, after Barracuda submitted the lowest bid. The county got a grant of $85,000 from the Federal Highway Administration for the repairs.

County officials have asked the Federal Highway Administration for additional money to address the unforeseen problems. Brinton said he may learn in a few days if the extra funding will be forthcoming.

Volusia County does not have sufficient cash to cover the project because the county's local-option gas-tax collections have fallen over the past two years.

If the county receives the supplemental grant, Barracuda may do the extra work on the stormwater system. Brinton declined to speculate when the repairs may start.

— al@beacononlinenews.com

Comment on this article

Commenting is closed for this article.

If you would like to contribute a letter to the editor, please click here.

Did you find this story interesting or informative? Subscribe to The DeLand-Deltona Beacon to read more stories by Al Everson, along with others from our award-winning writers. Subscribe now!