Monroe County and Islamorada Working With FDOT To Improve Low-Lying Section of US 1 That Floods 

ISLAMORADA, FL –Monroe County Mayor George Neugent has been hosting several meetings over the past few weeks about a variety of transportation issues involving the Overseas Highway – the County’s “Main Street” also known as U.S. 1. On Friday morning, the discussion was about one of the highway’s lowest-lying sections – a stretch along Sea Oates Beach at Mile Marker 75 in Islamorada.

Also participating in the conference call were Florida Department of Transportation District 6 Secretary Jim Wolfe and representatives from the Village of Islamorada.

Due to its low elevation and proximity just yards from the Atlantic Ocean, this stretch of road is prone to flooding. It also is part of the main hurricane evacuation route out of the Florida Keys for the majority of the island chain’s population. Public safety is put at risk if the roadway is blocked or hazardous to drive.

Due to these reasons, the County and the Village of Islamorada have identified this stretch as a priority for flooding mitigation. Discussions have included elevation of the road and mitigation efforts such as a proper natural buffer zone and beach nourishment.

“We’re really in the posture of trying to accelerate DOT’s interest in the stretch of the road for public safety,” Monroe County Mayor Pro Tem David Rice said. “It is the most easily identifiable risk to traffic on U.S. 1 in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm. We know this because that stretch has been blocked in previous storms. Before there is further erosion, we’d like to take proactive steps rather than deal with an emergency recovery.”

Future meetings are planned to discuss solutions.

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