KEY LARGO TWIN LAKES NEIGHBORHOOD FLOOD MITIGATION CONSTRUCTION TO START SOON

KEY LARGO TWIN LAKES NEIGHBORHOOD FLOOD MITIGATION CONSTRUCTION TO START SOON

KEY LARGO, FL – With the successful securing of a federal grant appropriation for the Key Largo Twin Lakes neighborhood, today, the Board of County Commissioners approved the start of the project’s construction. The neighborhood experiences frequent flooding for prolonged periods during heavy rainfall, storm surge, high tide, and King Tide events that cause damage to public roads and private properties, creating safety issues for the residents. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held near the end of summer or early fall.

“Thanks to our staff and our federal and state lobbyists who jumped on a funding opportunity that hasn’t been available for the past decade,” said Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein. “A huge thank you to Rep. Carlos Gimenez for supporting and advancing this federal appropriation and to Gov. DeSantis, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for its funding through the State’s Resilient Florida grant program. The community cannot remain safe and secure without functioning roadways, operational stormwater systems, and supporting infrastructure.”

The shovel-ready project consists of road elevation and new drainage and stormwater collection systems and is also funded with Resilience Florida funding appropriated in the state budget. The project is funded by federal and state grants and local funds.

Neighborhood-wide flooding mitigation is not easy nor inexpensive. “Water management, stormwater road runoff, and residential properties all have to be considered,” said Director of Roads and Bridges Judy Clarke. “We wish it were as simple as raising the road, but it isn’t.”

The project encompasses 4,633 linear feet of roadway and will protect 105 residential structures in the Twin Lakes subdivision.

Monroe County has been working toward a resilient Florida Keys for more than a decade, including a  Roadway Vulnerability Analysis and Capital Plan. The plan uses environmental and human-use factors in assessing the flooding vulnerability of 300 miles of county roads.

“We are excited to begin construction of the County’s first pilot project for road elevation, and help the neighborhood maintain access to their homes and become more resilient to sea level rise,” said Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag.

To learn more about Monroe County roadway vulnerabilities, visit www.keysroadsplan.com.

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