A1A Emergency Repair

In September and October 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated the southeastern U.S. The first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since 2007, the storm killed 47 people and caused $10 billion in damage. President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency on Oct. 6 and Florida Gov. Rick Scott urged 1.5 million people to evacuate.

One of the hurricane’s many infrastructure victims was 1.3 miles of State Route A1A around the Volusia County/Flagler County line. Any beach access road gets its fair share of tourist traffic, but this stretch includes homes of year-round residents. The storm also eroded sand dunes that support aquatic and avian wildlife.

The Florida DOT’s response earned an American Public Works Association Project of the Year Award in the Disaster or Emergency Construction/Repair (less than $5 million) category. What usually takes months to complete was finished within 14 days, prompting the governor to celebrate the road’s reopening in person.

On Oct. 24, Halifax Paving Inc. mobilized 30 dump trucks, three front-end loaders, three vibratory rollers, three backhoes, two gradalls, two water trucks, and two skid steers. After 13 days, the contractor had added a new lane with asphalt base and installed a low-profile barrier wall the project’s entire length.

After opening SR A1A to the public, the contractor installed 40,000 tons of granite and coquina rock on the sand slopes for stabilization. After 12 days, 26,000 cubic yards of sand had been imported, compacted, and graded to repair the dunes. The swift replacement of this key habitat and natural storm barrier helped to keep the environmental promise the Florida DOT demands.

The road reopened on Nov. 7, 14 days after construction began. The speed at which the project was bid and completed maintained positive relations with a traumatized public. It also garnered tremendous attention, not only from the media and traveling public, but also in the governor’s office.