Surprise Magnolia Street damage remains from Hurricane Ian 

After Hurricane Ian reached Florida in September 2022, it left lasting damage the city continues to repair.

The bridge over Sweetwater Creek on East Magnolia Street faces soil erosion underneath the road that threatens its structural integrity. 

The cavity was not discovered until June 2023, Oviedo Assistant City Engineer Paul Yeargain said. The city responded by closing Magnolia’s eastbound lane and implemented a “stop for oncoming traffic” sign with a one-lane traffic flow. 

“The cavity is not evident from the surface or the creek, so it was not immediately identified in post-hurricane field reviews that occurred in October 2022,” Yeargain said.

Because the void was located later than other affected areas, the planning for replacement of the bridge is estimated to take until as late as September 2024, two years after Hurricane Ian hit. The repair phase of the project is not expected to be complete until 2025, according to the City of Oviedo Public Works Department. 

The plan to fix the cavity includes a five-step process of designing and permitting. Steps one and two of a geotechnical investigation and topographic survey have been completed so far. 

Two geotechnical investigations were completed, exploring the cavity, groundwater and soil to determine the design that would uphold proper road conditions. 

The consulting firm Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants, Inc. investigated the damage in late 2023. 

The city did not inform nearby residents of the roadwork and inspections ahead of time. 

Erica McCay, an Oviedo resident who lives near the Magnolia Street crossing, said the traffic is not disruptive but she has noticed many cars have slowed down in front of her house. 

“So we didn’t know that there was a cavity,” McCay said. “We just all of a sudden saw there was a lot of land surveying happening around our property. The city didn’t notify us or anything so we just saw what they were doing and we were like, ‘oh, that’s interesting.’”

She said there were consultants on her property while examining the creek and conducting the investigations. 

“I think probably the only thing I would change is it would have been nice to get a notice on our door or something to let us know what’s happening, but otherwise overall I just would rather the road be safe,” McCay said. 

Magnolia Street Crossing update 

The city is currently in step three, a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis to assess water flow during hypothetical storms. The estimated completion date is March 2024. 

Step four in the design process requires exchanging the current culverts with larger pipes to improve creek water flow from the south to the north side of Magnolia Street. The roadway will also require replacement. 

The last step is permitting through St. Johns River Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and FEMA, Yeargain said. He said that will take approximately 60-90 days. 

Technical issues the city still faces are completing the hydrologic and hydraulic study, engineering design of the new crossing, considering the regulatory floodway of Sweetwater Creek’s 100-year floodplain and monitoring the cavity routinely. 

A bidding package still has to be prepared as well to determine and select a contractor for the repair. The city is funding the design process and construction of the crossing currently and will be requesting reimbursement afterward from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the project. 

The security of the road outweighs the lengthy steps and ongoing process for McCay. 

“I would rather the bridge be safe,” McCay said. “That’s more important to me than having the one-lane road.”