The Florida Department of Transportation project to help with drainage in Duval County's beach communities could break ground any day now and should take about two and a half years to complete.
Austin Dukes, of Jacksonville Beach, has been dealing with flooding for years.
"If it rains for 10 minutes, it’ll be up to the curb," Dukes said. "It’ll rain for an hour and it’ll flood out."
The FDOT drainage project aims to replace bridges and culverts and widen channels in the area.
UPDATE on drainage projected for Duval’s beach communities. @MyFDOT says contractor has been hired & they’ll strike dirt any day now. 2.5 year project costing $25.7 Million. Covers from 90 (Beach Blvd) to Seagate. Seeking add’l funds to cover areas more south. @ActionNewsJax
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) March 19, 2018
Monday, we learned The de Moya Group Inc. has been hired for the project and could start work any day now.
The project covers land from Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach to Seagate Avenue in Neptune Beach, where FDOT believes the worst flooding happens.
But there's one problem: FDOT is still working to secure funding for areas north and south of there, which includes where Dukes lives at 12th Avenue South.
"From 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., it was ankle deep, calf deep probably. It gets pretty frustrating" Dukes said.
FDOT said the project costs nearly $26 million.
Cox Media Group