Project to zero in on frequent flooding
By Teresa Sargeant
Reporter
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to ratify a $1.4 million contract for an emergency improvement project to mitigate the frequent flooding on Ocoee-Apopka Road in Apopka impacting nearby residential dwellings.
Awarded to W.T. Comp Inc., the contract was a consent agenda the board voted on without any discussion at its Tuesday, Feb. 25 meeting in Orlando.
The project, which will tackle flooding along the road between South Hawthorne Avenue and Marden Road, will focus on catching the runoff through newly built gutters, curbs and inlets
As well, the project will also control stormwater runoff with modified drainage, according to a Jan. 31 county interoffice memorandum.
“Flooding has occurred along Ocoee Apopka Road between South Hawthorne Avenue and Marden, along frontage of residential properties as well of the associated roadside conveyance along the frontage of a commercial business,” the memorandum reads. “This was handled as an emergency procurement because construction needs to be completed before the rainy season to prevent additional flooding that affects safety of citizens.”
The county received eight bids for this project, with W.T. Comp Inc. was the lowest and most responsible bidder of the eight bids submitted to the county.
The drainage improvement project has nothing to do with the $28 million road safety widening project the city intends to execute. This project proposes to broaden the northern portion of Ocoee-Apopka Road to accommodate increased traffic, construct a multi-use trail along the road, and restore sidewalks.
“This (emergency drainage improvement project) has been in the books for a couple of years,” said Eduardo Avellaneda, manager II for the Orange County Roads and Drainage Division, in a phone interview.
The Apopka Chief is an award-winning weekly newspaper serving the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923.
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