23rd Street Plaza intersection reopens 20 months after collapsing during Hurricane Sally
PANAMA CITY — The West 23rd Street Plaza intersection reopened to traffic Thursday, about 20 months after it collapsed during Hurricane Sally.
BCL Civil Contractors completed installation of large concrete box culvert sections under the road in late March and asphalt was put down earlier this week. The road leads to the shopping plaza and Morris Subdivision.
The intersection collapsed in September 2020 when Sally's torrential rainfall knocked out the aging metal corrugated drainage pipes under the road.
Repairs begin on plaza: What's next for Panama City to reopen 23rd Street Plaza road?
Culverts installed: New concrete box culverts installed at West 23rd Street Plaza in Panama City
"We've notified our Bay County Traffic Control to make sure that lights are programmed appropriately and will have direct access back into those centers and that area and the residential areas behind them, along with the apartments immediate behind them, Stanford Station area as well," Assistant City Manager Jared Jones said. "We're just excited, it's a milestone."
City officials said contractors will remain onsite for the next month to evaluate the work and put on the finishing touches, such as curb work.
The project cost about $865,000 and was 75% funded by FEMA, with the remaining 25% split between the city and state.
Jones hailed the box culverts as a great solution to the corrugated pipes, saying they will increase water flow and are not subject to corrosion.
"Hurricane Sally caused the failure. I'll make that clear because that's how we were able to get the team to do this. So because of that, we were able to go back with something much more robust and put those box culverts in," Jones said. "Those are precast box culverts. We've put two of them in line and it's a much more robust system, it will last beyond my lifetime."
City officials urged drivers to use extra caution while construction workers are completing the finishing details.
Jones said reopening the road is a major accomplishment, with multiple agencies pitching in to help.
"It's critical for access for EMS and our responders to get into the neighborhood in there. It's critical for us to maintain services and do everything, as just as simple as garbage pickup," Jones said. "And it's great that it is happening now."
Most of all, residents and the plaza's businesses will benefit, Jones said.
"Every (hurricane recovery) project that we complete, I can't tell you how excited I am to get there," Jones said. "It was a long time in the making, but once we get it completed, that's the proud moment. I don't think I'll be as excited as business owners and residents but I will be right in line next."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City's 23rd Street Plaza intersection reopens after collapse
