Flooding problems persist on stretch of 17-92 in Maitland

Crews working on a drainage improvement project at Lake Jem will speed up their timeline in an attempt avoid further flooding on State Road 17-92, according to Maitland Assistant City Manager Mark Reggentin.

For about a month, the busy road has been flooding after heavy rains because crews cut off the inlet that carried water away from the road while they worked on a drainage improvement project.   

“We did it during April and May because they are traditionally our driest months,” Reggentin said.

Pumps haven’t been enough to move unseasonal rains and neither has a 36-inch-wide pipe.

Rain Sunday flooded the inside lane of State Road 17-92.

It was an improvement over previous storms, where the entire road was flooded and cars were stranded, but not good enough.  

The 36-inch pipe went in after initial flooding events.  

“If it would have rained for five minutes less there wouldn’t have been any problems,” Reggentin said.  

Over the next few days, crews will install 66- and 72-inch pipe to carry the water away faster.  

Reggentin said the drainage improvement plan always included the large pipes, but crews will work to get them in by the middle of the week.

In the meantime, Reggentin said heavy equipment will be on standby to dig a ditch so that water keeps flowing if there is a heavy rain.