After storm surge from Hurricane Matthew undermined a 1.3-mile-long stretch of State Road A1A in Flagler Beach, Fla., causing portions of the coastal highway to collapse, Florida Dept. of Transportation officials estimate that a preferred reconstruction approach could cost up to $35 million and take as long as one year to implement.
That preferred option, modeled after a nearby, 150-ft-long section that FDOT repaired roughly 10 years ago, would be supported by a system of sheet piling and capped by asphalt. But the approach remains up for debate with local agencies, who may prefer a quicker fix, says Noranne Downs, FDOT’s District Five secretary.