JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville Public Works Department has a plan for the portion of Harrison Avenue that washed away over the weekend.
According to the Public Works Dept., a cross drain under the road became clogged with debris from stormwater runoff. The debris got stuck in the drain and stormwater levels started rising over the road. The water eroded part of the road and it washed away.
People living in a neighborhood along Alexa Lane use Harrison Avenue as the only way to and from their homes. They were stuck in their homes Sunday while crews worked to create a temporary fix for the road.
Briana Natter is one of dozens of people who were trapped by the collapsed road Sunday. She was scheduled to meet with her realtor that morning.
"She was supposed to come over to talk about selling the house. And she called me and said like, 'hey, there's no road, I can't get across.' And I was like, what do you mean there's no road? So me and my husband jumped in the car and drove down there, and there was actually no road," Natter explained.
Natter said she and her neighbors are used to parts of Alexa Lane flooding, but they have never seen anything like the road washing out.
"I've lived here for two years. I'm pretty used to it. It's still aggravating, but I'm pretty used to it now. I wish it would get fixed and be like a regular road," Natter said.
By Monday morning, people were able to drive on the road again. Crews were out working to stabilize it. Public Works will now visit the site every few days to make sure it is still safe for people to drive over.
A contractor is on standby to start a permanent fix to the road. Public works expects that work to begin in early January. It should not take longer than 30 days to complete. People will still be able to get to and from their homes while construction is underway.