LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Lake County officials on Tuesday provided an update to local roadways damaged by a recent surge of rain.
Wolf Branch Road will reopen in about four weeks with improved drainage and road modifications, officials said.
Mount Dora and Eustis received 15 to 19 inches of rain in just hours on Oct. 26, overwhelming roads and stormwater systems.
Wolf Branch Road, which had just reopened Oct. 23, 2024 after Hurricane Milton, was among the damaged routes.
“These closures are such a disruption to our daily commutes and routines, especially since this same road washed out last year during Hurricane Milton, but Lake County is working to rebuild this segment with drainage enhancements and modifications to the road elevation that will accommodate increased runoff from businesses upstream,” Lake County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Leslie Campione
[VIDEO: Lake County declares state of emergency after cities hit with up to 19 inches of rain]
Following the heavy rainfall, Lake County declared a local state of emergency, activated the emergency operations center and deployed crews and state partners to install barricades and pump 30 million gallons of floodwater.
[VIDEO: Pumps working to remove standing water from flooded Lake County]
According to a news release, repairs on Wolf Branch Road are underway, but the completion depends on work by gas and power companies.
“We’ve got about 10 people on the job right now; we’re making a lot of progress,” Campione said. “We’re making some improvements and some enhancements to that road as we’re rebuilding it.”
Officials said that the area’s complex topography, including high-elevation ponds and springs, has led to a comprehensive hydrogeological study to guide stormwater management.
“We’re raising the road about 12 to 18 inches so that we can handle some of the runoff that might come over the road, but we’re shoring up some of the sides of the road itself and we’re adding two additional large culverts in a system that will be able to handle to handle more runoff,” Campione said.
[VIDEO: Wolf Branch Road faces repairs after repeated flood damage]
The county took a big step forward in August when it approved the purchase of the landed needed to fix Britt Road for 675-thousand dollars.
“Numerous residents have asked me why the County can get Wolf Branch Road reopened relatively quickly, yet Britt Road, which has similar topographical features and artesian springs, has still not been opened,” Campione added.
According to the release, the county owns enough land on both sides of Wolf Branch to carry out drainage improvements and rebuild the road, but the county did not initially own the property needed to repair the 20-foot-deep washout on Britt Road. Securing the necessary right-of-way access took months, delaying construction. The approved repairs include a complex culvert system designed to last for decades.
“That was a big hold up. That basically was the last 12 months we were working on that. Finally getting that worked out but we had to do a very fast environmental report on all of that property that involved a lot of onsite work. And then after this storm, we had a little bit more collapse. But the other thing that we had to do is work through those grant applications.”
Campione said the county is waiting on grant funding before it starts making noticeable repairs to Britt Road.
“Until we have that money basically in hand, we won’t begin the physical changes,” Campione said. “But once those changes start, I think we will see progress pretty quickly.”
Campione said she is confident Lake County will get the grant funding needed to fix Britt Road.
Campione also stated that they’re probably looking at December for a definitive answer on the grant funding and said she’s hoping in March people will start to see repairs materialize on Britt Road.
“We’ve actually gone through that initial review process where we’ve worked with the agencies and we’re getting every indication that those grants will be approved,” Campione said.