OUC to replace 1½-mile long water main in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — A section of Summerlin Avenue near East Concord Street that has been closed since a water main broke earlier this month is expected to reopen next week, the Orlando Utilities Commission said Tuesday.

The break, which flooded streets and submerged cars on Oct. 22, was repaired that evening, but crews have kept the stretch of road closed to ensure the soil is dry and properly compacted so it can handle traffic, OUC spokesman Tim Trudell said.

OUC said it must replace a 77-year-old, 20-inch water main that runs beneath Summerlin Avenue from East Marks Street to East South Street (about 1½ miles) in the Lake Eola Heights and Thornton Park neighborhoods.

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The break this month was the second burst of the water main since August. Thornton Park residents said they'll be happy to see the line replaced.

"About time they came to that conclusion because otherwise they're going to keep having these breaks all the time. It's an old line needs to be replaced," resident John Smoger said.

Read: Cause of downtown Orlando water main break that submerged cars, flooded streets unknown

The agency said it will begin engineering, hydraulic modeling and traffic impact studies to ensure that the new pipe is properly sized and meets the area's water needs. It said the studies are expected to last 1½ years.

"Construction could take up to two years, so it could be more than three years before everything is complete," Trudell said.

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OUC said the city of Orlando will simultaneously evaluate the condition of a sewer line that runs parallel with the water main.

The city will lay asphalt on the existing surface of Summerlin Avenue to expedite the road's reopening, city spokeswoman Cassandra Lafser said.

"The city has been exploring options for the roadway replacement," she said. "Through these evaluations, the city has committed to restore the portion of the roadway from (East) Concord Street to Hillcrest Street with brick."

Any brick restoration work will be done in conjunction with the project, Lafser said.

It's unknown how much the projects will cost.

Cox Media Group