Irrigation system was afterthought in postponed landscape project

Updated Jun 22, 2016
The city and local Florida Department of Transportation has spent more than $8 million on repairing the A1A after Hurricane Sandy. Photo: Florida Department of TransportationThe city and local Florida Department of Transportation has spent more than $8 million on repairing the A1A after Hurricane Sandy.
Photo: Florida Department of Transportation

Even though State Road A1A in Florida has long since been repaired from the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, it’s still missing the final touch.

The stretch north of Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale is still lacking ground cover and about 200 trees, although the landscaping work was supposed to have started in April. Fort Lauderdale requested that the work be delayed until after the air show that took place in May. A portion of the road was in the middle of the viewing area for the show.

According to Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Barbara Kelleher, when the state crews finally began working, they discovered the city had failed to install the needed water meters.

The city blamed the miscommunication on the failure to include an irrigation system in the architectural plans for the road project.

City spokesman Chaz Adams told The Sun-Sentinel that Fort Lauderdale is working with FDOT to develop a method of providing the needed irrigation without having to tear up portions of the new road.
FDOT anticipates the landscaping will be completed by the end of summer, Kelleher reported.

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