MELBOURNE, Fla. – A busy section of Wickham Road in Melbourne will close for more than a month while workers will make stormwater improvements.
News 6 partner Florida Today reports the 40 day closure will be between Eau Gallie Boulevard and Aurora Road beginning February 22.
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The active roadway will close to all but local traffic from 10 p.m. February 22 to April 2 while crews install a 110-foot-long concrete box culvert. This stormwater project is designed to fight flooding in the Kingsmill and Longwood subdivisions.
The project will force a daily average of 33,200 drivers to take detours traveling north-south.
Sabal Elementary and Croton Elementary sit in the center of the detour routes, while three other schools (Creel Elementary, Johnson Middle, and Eau Gallie High) are in the vicinity.
Variable message board signs will start warning motorist 15 days in advance, and a Facebook page will provide details, updates, and answer questions from the public.
The future construction site is at a creek just south of the shopping plaza at Wickham and Aurora roads that houses That Little Restaurant, Buz's Automotive, Advance Discount Autoparts, and Aurora Unique Bridal Boutique, among other businesses.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency-financed project is part of a stormwater strategy to improve drainage in Kingsmill, Longwood, and surrounding neighborhoods. Hurricane Erin in 1995, Hurricane Wilma in 2005, and Tropical Storm Fay in 2008 sent these subdivisions underwater and some homeowners took to the streets in boats.
Representatives from the Melbourne Police Department, Brevard County Sheriff's Office, and Brevard County Fire Rescue attended Tuesday's meetings, along with other county and city officials.
The city received a $76,000 St. Johns River Water Management District grant to install a Croton Road baffle box to improve water quality. The contractor has until March 25 to complete the project, and construction is expected to last 30 days.
Law enforcement will let local traffic flow to businesses and homes between Eau Gallie Boulevard and Aurora Road.
The Melbourne and Palm Bay area knows all to well about the closure of a busy roadway. In the spring of 2014 a collapsed drain pipe forced stoppage along a half-mile stretch of Palm Bay Road between Minton Road and Norfolk Parkway, the street leading through the Hammock Landing shopping center. The construction was to install a culvert beneath the roadway and was a month-long project.