Installation of the new and larger water transmission main continues as crews work day and night near MM 89 on Islamorada’s Plantation Key.
As of Sept. 26, contractors for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority had installed 18,336 feet of new drinking water pipe into the ground along U.S. 1 from Snake Creek Bridge to MM 89.
Earlier in the year, crews placed 2,100 feet of new water main underwater at Tavernier Creek Bridge. The installation came with traffic disruptions on the northbound lane of U.S. 1 through upper Plantation Key for about a month-and-a-half.
FKAA says they expect the 34,000 feet of new pipe, from Snake Creek Bridge to Julep Road in Tavernier, will be in the ground by March 2026.
Aaron Cutler, project manager, told Islamorada council members last month that crews will approach the area of Woods Avenue and Coral Shores High School in late October. Instead of installing pipeline underwater, which was completed in May, crews will now be placing new water transmission main into the ground along U.S. 1 to Tavernier Creek Bridge.
Cutler said they’ve worked with the Florida Department of Transportation to get an approved traffic control plan. He said months were spent shifting where the pipe will be installed to appease FDOT’s requests to mitigate traffic issues.
“We’ve actually redesigned and shifted alignment on a lot of our pipes just to make sure we can facilitate the least amount of traffic impacts as possible,” Cutler said.
Cutler added FDOT requested one northbound lane remain open, or else the project could get shut down.
“Without that they were basically saying we’d have to go back to the drawing board and find another way to do this,” he said. “A lot of this is cost-driven. It would cost millions to do it as slow as they wanted us to do it.”
Traffic congestion could look similar to when crews were installing the pipe into the ground earlier in the year. Two southbound lanes on U.S. 1 were open, while one northbound lane was shut down to allow room for the crews.
“October will be a tough traffic situation, similar to what (motorists) had to deal with in May and April,” Cutler said.
If all goes as planned, the work to place new 36-inch water main into the ground from the high school to Tavernier Creek Bridge could be completed by Thanksgiving.
The current pipeline varies in age throughout its 150-mile length in the Keys, but generally the pipe is 40 to 60 years old. Stress from pressure on the old pipe has led to deterioration or corrosion in many areas and increases the chances of potential failures. The existing drinking water pipe in Plantation Key has exceeded its useful lifespan, making it vulnerable to failures and breaks.
With the new pipeline, the combination of steel construction and cathodic protection, which prevents corrosion through electrochemical technology, improves reliability and flow capacity while reducing the risk of leaks or breaks.
Crews work 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and pause work for major holidays, events and inclement weather.
