AT&T is working on its system in the Florida Keys. Sheriff says drivers’ lives are at risk
The Florida Keys’ sheriff on Thursday warned state transportation officials that people driving on the only highway spanning the entirety of the island chain are in danger because of underground utility work that has left part of the road in shambles for weeks.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, in a letter obtained by the Miami Herald, told Florida Department of Transportation District 6 Secretary Stacy Miller that patchwork to cover over AT&T trenches has resulted in a two-mile stretch of U.S. 1 “worse than a third world country and is a hazard for and to public safety.”
After AT&T completes the work for the day, steel plates are placed over the trenches in the ground that “protrude well above the normal road,” Ramsay wrote. In all, he said there are about nine areas along the highway between mile markers 20 and 23 in the Lower Keys that have become hazards due to the ongoing work.
To avoid going over the top of the plates and possibly popping tires, Ramsay said drivers are traveling in turn lanes and veering into oncoming traffic. He said that he’s contacted FDOT in the past few weeks about the problem, but has not received a response.
“I cannot wait any longer as this is a potential for loss of life, so I am noticing you as the decision maker in this matter,” Ramsay wrote.
He also worries about a potential deadly motorcycle crash because the stretch of road is not well lit at night and bikers are likely unable to see where the highway becomes uneven.
“I am requesting that FDOT immediately send a road safety team to respond to this area to assess the road conditions as well as address the safety concerns that I and others have raised,” Ramsay wrote.
FDOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the project or Ramsay’s letter.
An AT&T spokesperson responded to the Herald’s questions about the project that “our goal is to minimize the impact of our work on residents.”
“Our contractors follow all necessary safety procedures and the plates are currently placed per FDOT standards,” the statement continues. “Additionally, FDOT safety personnel are on site regularly to monitor the progress of the road repair work.”
The company did not immediately respond to a follow-up question asking about the purpose for the work or when it’s scheduled to be completed.
For those who live and work in the area, the work and scarred roads have become a significant disruption.
“That area is like a minefield,” said Sandra Sujak from Key West. “There is no way to get through there.”
Sandy Sweitzer Anderson said she drives the route daily. In the days after workers repave the road, it’s derivable, she said. But other days, “I think I’ve blown a tire,” she said.
Tony Difolco lives on Cudjoe Key at mile marker 22, right in the center of the work area. He said crews border the steel plates with asphalt when they finish for the night, making the road “bumpy as hell.” Then, there are smaller holes in between the plates that make conditions worse, he said.
“Bottom line, they need to fix it, because it is bad,” Difolco said.
