St. Augustine is gearing up for two disruptive but long-planned infrastructure projects: a major overhaul of the Matanzas River seawall downtown and an extended closure on Sevilla Street in the historic Flagler Model Land neighborhood. On the latest episode of The Break Room, city environmental project engineer Marcus Pinson walked residents through what to expect as the city’s marble lions were pulled from the Bridge of Lions and officials warned drivers to brace for detours and occasional overnight closures.
Marcus Pinson on The Break Room
In a Feb. 17 episode of The Break Room, environmental project engineer Marcus Pinson laid out the timelines for both the seawall replacement and the Flagler Model Land neighborhood work, according to the episode listing on Amazon Music. The City of St. Augustine also promoted the segment and shared a listening link on its official Facebook page, according to City of St. Augustine - Government.
Seawall Work and the Bridge of Lions
FDOT crews started preliminary work in late January and removed the twin lion statues from the Bridge of Lions to clear the west side of the span as contractors mobilized for the seawall replacement project, WUSF reported. The project is designed to reduce downtown flooding and safeguard historic resources, and the scope was shaped in part by environmental reviews conducted by the National Park Service, News4Jax noted.
Sevilla Street Closure and Neighborhood Impacts
In the Flagler Model Land neighborhood, Sevilla Street will be closed to through traffic between Valencia and Saragossa streets for an extended period starting in early February, with crews set to replace underground water and sewer lines and improve drainage, according to reporting on the major infrastructure overhaul on Sevilla Street. DB Civil Construction is leading the work and is expected to maintain access for residents while keeping cut-through drivers out of the construction zone, and Marcus Pinson is listed as the maintenance-of-traffic contact for questions.
Where to Get Updates
FDOT is holding a public open house on the seawall improvements from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 5 at St. Augustine City Hall and online, according to WUSF. The National Park Service has also released an environmental assessment that informed the seawall project design, the National Park Service said. For quick recaps and ongoing updates from the city, residents can check the City of St. Augustine’s Facebook post or stream the Feb. 17 Break Room episode on Amazon Music.
