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Downtown Drainage Project Moving Ahead

Jessica Bair/SUNCOAST

A CREW FROM Steve’s Excavating and Paving installing a “conflict box,” which is meant to keep existing utility infrastructure from interfering with the storm-water drainage lines being installed as part of New Port Richey’s Missouri Avenue drainage project.

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By Jessica  Bair | The Suncoast News

Published: November 13, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - The drainage project that has frustrated many downtown business owners and inconvenienced many of their patrons is now making slow but steady progress.

Because of a number of unforeseen delays, including old utility lines, high ground-water levels and problems with the design and installation of a storm-water filtration device at Florida and Adams streets, the drainage improvement has so far taken six months.

City officials expected the work would be completed last month. Now, the construction timeline is stretching into next year.

The $2 million city drainage project is meant to relieve storm-water flooding problems on Missouri and Nebraska avenues in the historic downtown district and surrounding areas.

Last month, in response to complaints about the construction work's negative impact on downtown commerce, Public Works Director Tom O'Neill called for a quick pace of construction. He asked the contractor, Clearwater-based Steve's Excavating and Paving, to have its crew work longer hours.

Since then, the work has been making visible progress.

For example, the contractor has finished installing the troublesome filtration unit at Florida and Adams streets. The filter is supposed to keep oil and other contaminants and debris in storm-water runoff out of the nearby Orange Lake.

The contractor is now close to installing draining pipe from the filter to the Main Street area.

In addition, Steve Excavating has agreed to lay a temporary asphalt surface on Adams Street before moving across the busy thoroughfare.

"They have reconstructed all the storm-water inlets along the street so we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel," O'Neill told City Council Tuesday night.

Crews on Wednesday were installing a "conflict box" under Adams Street near Main Street. The box is supposed to keep the newly installed storm-water drainage lines separate from city utility lines that were already in place.

"We expect the remainder of the project to go very quickly and smoothly," said O'Neill on Wednesday.

"I'm all over it," O'Neill said of the drainage improvement work, adding other city employees are monitoring the project's progress on a daily basis.

The next leg of the storm-water project will cross over busy Main Street. This will require what O'Neill hopes will be short-term detours in the project area.

O'Neill has not yet disclosed details of the planned detours.

"It is very important to the city and adjacent businesses to complete this as quickly as possible," O'Neill said.

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