VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Construction of a buried seawall between Sunrise Avenue and Marlin Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea has been delayed; it was supposed to start after Labor Day weekend.

It’s a measure to fortify A1A that many in Volusia County have been waiting for. It was supposed to start on Tuesday, Sept. 3, but now will begin Monday, Sept. 9.

What You Need To Know

  • This is the second seawall project of its kind along State Road A1A, with the first already underway in Flagler Beach

  • Resiliency plan to move forward with seawall construction was drafted by the Florida Department of Transportation, U.S Army Corps of Engineers and local governments

  • The seawall project aims to protect homes and businesses from storms and erosion following damage leftover from hurricanes Ian and Nicole

"The second wall will stretch from Sunrise Avenue to Marlin Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea, Volusia County. Beginning as soon as September 9, the contractor will place temporary asphalt along the west side (southbound) of S.R. A1A to accommodate a slight traffic shift. As soon as September 9 and 10, drivers should expect a rolling daytime lane closure with flagging operations from just north of Marlin Drive to just south of Sunrise Avenue," stated FDOT.

This is the second project of its kind. The first is already underway in Flagler Beach, extending from South Central Avenue to just north of Highbridge Road in Volusia County.

Although some nearby businesses are concerned the project will create traffic disruptions and lack of parking, people are looking forward to seeing this project come to fruition following the damage leftover by 2022 hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

In just a few weeks, over one mile of Ocean Shore Boulevard that runs through Ormond-by-the-Sea will be under construction for a buried seawall project.

A 1.3-mile buried seawall will stretch from Sunrise Avenue down to Marlin Drive to protect homes and businesses from storm damage and erosion. 

“These two particular sections where we’re building the wall here — they’re the most vulnerable places where we had most damage in 2022, and have continued to have to make repairs as erosion eats away at the edge of the roadway,” Public Information Director for Florida Department of Transportation District 5 Cindi Lane said.

Lane said the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Volusia County, and the city of Flagler Beach to draft a resiliency plan following 2022 hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

According to FDOT spokesman Tim Freed, “FDOT has started construction on the first of two buried seawalls (secant walls) — a proven solution that uses the same secant wall design that we used for the wall built in northern Flagler Beach in 2019. These new seawalls will allow creation of a new dune providing a healthy sea turtle habitat while also protecting the roadway.”

Lane said they will shift the lanes over along Ocean Shore Boulevard to make way for construction starting next week.

Lane said despite these changes, a seawall will help prevent future storm damage in these communities. 

“After a storm comes by, there is erosion up until the wall, but it stops before it gets to the roadway. Good thing about that is that even though the wall gets exposed, we can just put sand and vegetation over it,” she said.

Some who work nearby are concerned about how this project will affect businesses. Like Emily Ruddell, who is a waitress at Lagerheads Bar and Grill.

She drives past the first seawall project in Flagler Beach every day on her way to work. 

“You do have to drive slower in that little area. The traffic is definitely a lot worse with the construction because of the workers, the speed limit. They’re going up and down through the roads so it definitely, it has impacted down there and it does take at least 10 to 15 minutes longer on my drive to work,” Ruddell explained.

Despite the delays and the concerns that construction could create parking disruptions, she said the new seawall should ultimately benefit the business.

A sentiment her supervisor Sharon Inglis agrees with, recalling the impact leftover by hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

“We lost our stage, part of our roof. The front bar was gone. The AC blew off. We had to take wheelbarrows full of sand back over to the beach,” Inglis said.

Even though Inglis says a project like this one is necessary for the community, she is worried about how a lack of parking will create disruptions at her restaurant.

“I think it’s great for the beach, for future hurricane damage and all that, but it’s just not good for local small businesses. We pay taxes. We’re a tax-paying business,” she expressed.

Florida Department of Transportation officials said they’ll be working closely with residents and businesses in the area to cause as few disruptions as possible.

They expect to complete the buried seawall project by the end of next year.