ORLANDO, Fla. – A 77-year-old water main running below a mile-long section of a downtown Orlando neighborhood will need to be replaced to prevent any more issues with the old pipes, according to officials with the Orlando Utilities Commission.
A section of Summerlin Avenue remains closed after a water main broke on Oct. 22, flooding the Lake Eola Heights neighborhood near the intersection of Concord Street. Crews repaired the main that day, however Summerlin Avenue is not expected to reopen until next week, to ensure the soil is dry and can handle traffic.
The road will be paved with asphalt, not brick, city of Orlando spokeswoman Cassandra Lafser said, adding that the city will replace the bricks between Concord and Hillcrest streets.
While repairing the water main break, OUC officials said they determined a 20-inch water main that runs about 1.5 miles under Summerlin Avenue between South and Marks streets will also need to be replaced.
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OUC officials said they will begin conducting traffic impact, engineering, hydraulic modeling and other studies to determine the new pipe is properly sized and meets the water needs of the area. It could be 18 months before the new pipe is installed.
The entire project is expected to take more than three years, according to OUC.
OUC did not provide the cost of the overall water main project.
