Project Summary
The effects of repeated hurricane destruction have taken their toll on State Road A1A, the 338-mile, north-south thoroughfare along Florida’s east coast. The costs of regularly repairing damage and the problems caused by important access routes being impassable have moved the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 2 to take steps toward longer-term solutions.
Hanson is helping FDOT District 2 build resiliency for the future by designing solutions for significant stretches of SR A1A at Mayport and Vilano Beach. In recent years, extreme weather events have caused repeated flooding, erosion, scour and deterioration in these low-lying areas along coastal SR A1A, which serves as a hurricane evacuation route.
The project team has provided roadway and drainage design, temporary traffic control, signing and pavement marking, concept application support, benefit-cost analysis, construction services and cost estimates.
Hanson also partnered with FDOT to seek resiliency grant funding for both segments. As part of a districtwide planning contract, Hanson collaborated with FDOT staff to develop the proposed concepts and completed a benefit-cost analysis to obtain grant approval for both projects. Hanson is performing final design services for Mayport and Vilano Beach through a districtwide design contract that Hanson holds with FDOT.
Mayport
SR A1A provides sole access to the village of Mayport and the back gate of Naval Station Mayport, the second-largest naval facility on the East Coast and the third largest in the U.S. Damage to this section of the roadway can be devastating to residents, military personnel and local businesses.
In Mayport, Hanson’s benefit-cost analysis justified a single, long-term solution to continually repairing the damaged roadway. The project team prepared construction documents and permits for repairing and stabilizing the roadway, including a buried sheet pile retaining wall system to guard against scour, bank and shore protection consisting of rubble riprap along the roadway’s north side and a reconstruction of the southbound lane. Other updates for long-term stability and erosion prevention entail riprap revetment, a graded shoulder, a coastal embankment and guardrails.
Vilano Beach
Thirty-six miles south of Mayport, in the barrier-island town of Vilano Beach, tourists heavily travel SR A1A, which is a primary access road for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.
The community has experienced flooding, erosion, scour and deterioration at its low-lying stretch of SR A1A. The roadway and dune system have been affected by shifting sand, rough surf and strong tides, and when the roadway becomes impassable, residents and others lose access to homes and businesses. Previous repairs have not held up to repeated storms.
In Vilano Beach, Hanson’s benefit-cost analysis showed FDOT the advantages of a more comprehensive and long-lasting solution. Hanson studied the area and determined that a retaining wall system like the one used at Mayport would be the best approach, as well as reconstructing the northbound lane and adding a paved shoulder.
Tight time frame
Hanson supported FDOT in the grant application process for both projects by responding to multiple rounds of comments and modifications to the grant package and benefit-cost analysis before FDOT was awarded the grant funding. To meet grant requirements, FDOT must complete the Mayport and Vilano Beach projects within a 12-month time frame, and Hanson has developed a streamlined approach to expedite design and construction so both are completed on time.
Both coastal communities will benefit from the techniques used to address their individual needs and provide increased resiliency, reliability, connectivity and safe evacuation.