Gov Scott Tells FDOT To Quickly Reopen A1A; Detour Remains Until Then

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Flagler Beach, FL - Thanks to Hurricane Matthew a portion of A1A collapsed, forcing a 1.4 mile stretch of the scenic highway to be closed and a detour to be established, but on Thursday, Governor Rick Scott told the FL Department of Transportation to speed up the restoration of 2-way traffic on the road.

“Getting our communities back to work as quickly and safely as possible is our number one priority and we must make A1A operational as soon as we can," said Scott. "That’s why I’ve directed FDOT to use all available resources to get A1A reopened as soon as possible. This expedited timeline will get residents and tourists back onto A1A so that families and businesses in the area can get back on their feet and return to their normal routines.”

According to Scott's office, FDOT will immediately start work on A1A which should reopen no later than 45 days after contract execution, which is expected to be done over the weekend. That means construction should begin early next week.

“Restoring north-south traffic on A1A is the number one priority in the state for FDOT, and we have been working diligently since the storm passed to assess what needed to be done," said Secretary Jim Boxold. "We are now ready to procure the necessary services to complete this task without delay, and we will bring every resource the state has at its disposal to complete this project quickly. At the same time as we work to implement this intermediate fix to get A1A up and running, we will continue to work with our community members and elected officials to develop a more permanent solution for the section of road that was impacted by the storm.”

Until A1A reopens, the current detour will remain in place. Right now, traffic's being detoured 1 block to the west onto S Central Ave between S 9th St and S 22nd St.

“South Central Avenue is a residential street where children, dog-walkers, pets and bicyclists are used to light traffic and slower speeds,” Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney said. “The speed limit on South Central Avenue is 25 mph. The detour was created out of necessity, and we are asking visitors and residents alike to exercise patience and courtesy while the detour is in place.”

Photo courtesy Oakview Studios and Shutterstock.com.

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