At a Monday, Feb. 13 meeting, the City Commission unanimously approved a resolution for a work order to repair a section of Walden Woods Drive, just north of Waldenway Drive.
According to City Manager Mike Herr, a depression in the northbound lane of Walden Woods Drive at the drainage inlet has been patched at least three times since 2015.
“A slight depression in the road started back in 2015 and was patched,” Herr said. “In June 2016, the road was patched again, and in November 2016, the drainage pipe was videoed to determine the extent and severity of the problem.”
A review of the video showed that about 75% of the drainage inlet’s connections and concrete pipe joints were leaking, according to a report from Herr’s office.
Multiple options were looked at to repair the depression. However, due to wet conditions around the drainage inlet, the report showed that only removing and repairing 183 feet of drainage pipe, two inlets, the sidewalk and the curb proved viable, in addition to repairing the roadway.
“Whenever depressions are noticed in a roadway and patching is required, an investigation is started to determine whether the cause is a water main, gravity sewer main or drainage pipe,” Herr said. “Due to the number of joints and connections that were leaking in the length of drainage pipe across Walden Woods Drive, the only option was to remove and replace the entire run of drainage pipe.”
Repairs are expected to cost about $78,414. The contract for the work was awarded to Florida Safety Contractors Inc., which has an ongoing contract with the City of Plant City for construction and repair of sidewalks, curbs, driveways and drainage pipes.
Funding for the project will come from the city’s stormwater fund. The work on the project will take about five weeks to complete.
“The repair of the drainage pipe and inlets is anticipated to begin with the notice to proceed issued within the next week,” Herr said. “The inlets, once ordered, will take approximately three weeks to manufacture. Once the inlets are on site, the work will take two weeks to complete.”
During the repairs, Walden Woods Drive will be closed to traffic with signs posted for a detour route. Walden Woods Drive is expected to be closed between Monday, March 20, and Friday, April 3.
Residents will be notified of the road construction two weeks before construction begins through message boards and door hangers.
Contact Daniel Figueroa IV at dfigueroa@plantcityobserver.com