The Project Wide Advisory Committee has opted to return to an old strategy to remedy sloughing at the islands supporting the Morse Boulevard bridge at Lake Sumter.
For several years, PWAC has discussed, debated, argued and changed course about what do about the problem at the embankments under the bridge. One of the options considered early in the discussion was riprap, a range of rocky material placed along the shoreline to provide stabilization. At one point, PWAC considered importing lime rock from the Village of Fenney, which was under construction at the time.
In 2019, PWAC took a fresh look at the project and agreed to spend $130,000 on a professional study looking at a Geoweb reinforced slope. However, that work required waiting for the water level to go down, something that simply hasn’t happened.
Assistant District Manager Bruce Brown reminded PWAC members that “a large portion of the bank slid off” about eight years ago.
“It’s not going to get better on it’s own. Let’s get if fixed,” said PWAC member Peter Moeller, who questioned whether PWAC has taken too long to move forward on the project.
The good news is that PWAC has socked away more than $1 million dollars for the work.
PWAC, which includes representation from Community Development Districts 5 through 13, agreed to move ahead and seek bids for the riprap remedy.
Potentially, a year from now the work could be done and it would be ready for the next hurricane season, Brown indicated.
“It’s a multi-month project. It is not an easy area to work in. It would be inconvenient to traffic,” Brown added.
