FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Eyewitness News got a behind-the-scenes look at construction on a pair of buried seawalls that extend from Volusia to Flagler County.
The Florida Department of Transportation said the project will give the stretch of State Road A1A better protection than it has ever had.
We showed you the work when it first began last spring, but on Thursday, FDOT toured the construction site with our crews.
We watched construction workers put large cages into the sand. The cages were made of fiberglass and rebar, which helped strengthen the concrete wall.
“In all these years, A1A is going to be with the highest level of protection it’s ever had,” said District Five Maintenance Engineer, Ron Meade.
Work on the first wall started last year in Flagler County, and it’s now covered with new sand and vegetation. The second location in Volusia County is situated between Sunrise Avenue and Marlin Drive. Most of the dunes in that spot were damaged during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, leaving properties unprotected.
FDOT said even if a storm takes all the sand away, the walls should hold. The same concept was used further north in Flagler County after other hurricanes.
“After Ian and Nicole came through, the wall that was north of 100 that we constructed after Matthew and Irma did its job. There were no impacts to the residents, businesses were open,” said Chris Barone, DeLand Operations Engineer.
Since the 2022 hurricane season, FDOT has repaired more than 20 washouts on A1A.
FDOT officials believe this project combined with others will make the road more resilient.
The work should be complete on both walls by the end of this year.
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