By Amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer
A stormwater pipe on Silvermoon Drive in Walden Lake is leaking from high pond levels, causing the road to become saturated and distressed.
Last week, three of the four barricades blocking both sides of the road were removed, leaving one remaining on the right side where the road is cracked. Residents in four homes now can drive on the left side of the road after being blocked from their driveways and having to battle for a parking space down the road for a week.
“We’re just concerned, because now the city says it’s safe to drive on, but nothing was done to the road,” Phalen Redmond, a resident on Silvermoon Drive, said.
City officials said the road is safe but will continue to deteriorate until it is fixed. City staff is sending out letters to the four affected residents documenting a timeline and plan for the repair, said City Manager Greg Horwedel.
The city has contacted VacVision to inspect the pipe, but it is estimated that it will be two weeks before the company can examine the road. The likely fix will be to clean and seal the pipe. Once the water table lowers, the saturated section of the roadway will be excavated, compacted and resurfaced.
Although the current budget for stormwater pipe rehabilitation is exhausted, some funds are available in the stormwater contractual account. The cost to repair Silvermoon Drive is expected to be under $20,000, Horwedel said.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.