Trending
City of Miami sues FDOT over long-delayed Flagler project
$45M streetscape improvement project was supposed to be completed a year ago
The city of Miami is trying to pressure the Florida Department of Transportation into completing the long-delayed West Flagler Street construction project by the end of this year.
FDOT was supposed to complete the $45 million project, which called for replacing an aging water main, rebuilding sidewalks, adding a bike lane and upgrading drainage to 12 blocks, in late 2017. Construction began in 2016.
The city is now suing FDOT, but the lawsuit does not name Pinnacle Consulting, which the state hired to oversee the contractor, Russell Engineering. The general construction is also not named in the suit.
More than a year ago, businesses along Flagler Street were reporting losses of up to 60 percent, and Mayor Francis Suarez called the project “a small business killer,” according to the Miami Herald.
Similar projects in Coral Gables and Miami also faced setbacks in recent years, including the delayed streetscape improvements of Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue in the Gables.
FDOT said that “unforeseen conditions and utility work” delayed the Flagler project and that crews are working to complete construction before the end of the year. [Miami Herald] – Katherine Kallergis