DELTONA, Fla. – A major project to raise a flood-prone Deltona road is moving closer to reality. The Deltona City Commission is set to vote on approving engineering, design and permitting work to elevate Elkcam Boulevard, a thoroughfare that residents say floods during even minor storms — and becomes impassable for weeks, sometimes months, after major ones.
The road dips near a lake surrounded by homes, making it especially vulnerable. Neighbors say the flooding has been a persistent problem for years, with the issue gaining urgency after the 2022 hurricane season triggered severe flooding in the area.
“If it rains like it did last week or the week before last week, we had quite a bit of rain in that short period of time. It was raining so hard you couldn’t see outside and next thing you know, it went from nothing to water climbing up the driveway,” said Gary Morris, a resident who lives near Elkcam Boulevard.
Morris says the slow pace of progress has been frustrating for neighbors.
[WATCH: Raising Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona to prevent flooding (from 2024)]
“You hear all the time on the news that this city’s been fighting for this for three, four, even five years and it’s still not in the process,” Morris said.
City leaders acknowledge the urgency. Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. says securing funding and grants has been the primary obstacle to moving the project forward.
“I mean, I’ve experienced it! Getting from one side of the city to another solid 20 to 30 minutes on a good day, if that road is blocked,” Avila said.
The project is estimated at approximately $7 million, with the state covering 75% of the cost and the city responsible for the remaining 25%. An engineering group has already been selected to design the road elevation. Once the design is complete, the city will submit it to the state before breaking ground.
Avila says the deliberate approach is worth it.
“We’ve already waited this long, waiting just a little bit longer just to make sure we have the engineering part and the design part correct it’s going to be key,” Avila said.