Florida road project behind after contractor failed to finish the work. Here's what Brevard County is doing
MELBOURNE, Fla. - What’s going on with Pineda and Wickham Road project in Melbourne?
The road project is now a year behind schedule after the contractor failed to finish the job, county officials said.
What we know:
A major intersection improvement project at Wickham Road and Pineda Causeway has hit a dead end, leaving drivers frustrated in a construction zone that was set to be finished nearly a year ago.
Brevard County officials have officially pulled the plug on their contract after the asphalt company failed to follow through on the work.
An intersection in Melbourne is a month behind repairs after the contractor left.
The backstory:
The project, known as the Wickham Road at Pineda Causeway Intersection Improvements, was designed to extend turn lanes and improve drainage to ease heavy congestion in the booming Melbourne area.
However, despite being nearly a year behind schedule, the site remained a "halfway finished" mess.
Brevard County records show that the asphalt company failed to provide enough workers, equipment, or materials to finish the job within the allotted time. While the contractor has already been paid $445,000, the County has halted all further payments and warned the company they may be liable for any costs that exceed the original contract price.
Failing to follow through: What the paper trail shows?
Timeline:
The paper trail revealing the project's collapse began in early 2026.
On February 13, 2026, the County issued a formal "Notice of Failure to Perform Work," stating the contractor was not carrying out the work in an acceptable manner.
When the contractor failed to meet a March 13 deadline to fix outstanding issues, the County escalated the matter.
On March 19, 2026, the County Manager sent a final Notice of Termination for Cause, officially ending the relationship with the paving company effective April 14, 2026.
Incomplete work
A massive "punchlist" of incomplete or deficient work includes:
- Safety Hazards: Reconstructing areas where the road was "undermined" due to missing curbs.
- Poor Workmanship: Removing "deficient asphalt" installed during nightwork in December 2025.
- Environmental Concerns: Failure to restore potentially affected wetland areas.
- Structural Failures: Storm structures installed at the wrong height and failed density tests on roadway bases.
What we don't know:
FOX 35 tried to reach the contractor but did not hear back. They are not being named in this report for that reason.
A traffic nightmare
What they're saying:
For local residents, the "contractor chaos" has turned daily commutes into a grueling test of patience.
"I get frustrated every single day," said Carmen, a local driver. "It takes 10 to 20 minutes just to get out of my own housing development."
Others who live near the construction zone describe the situation as "very bad, very very bad," noting that workers are rarely seen at the site. For visitors like Kenneth Peck, the delay is more than an inconvenience—it’s a waste of public funds.
"That’s not fair to us, the taxpayer," Peck said. "That’s unacceptable. Give back the money."
What's next:
The County is now taking matters into its own hands. County workers were seen on site at the work zone on Wednesday making efforts to finish the job.
Officials hope to have the remaining work—including pavement markings, signage, and sod installation—completed within the next month.
The contractor has until May 15, 2026, to submit any final termination claims. If they fail to do so, the County will determine what amount, if any, the company is still owed—or how much they must pay back to cover the cost of another crew finishing the job.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from FOX 35's Esther Bower.