Miami commissioner breaks ground on project to fix flooding on tricky street
MIAMI – Under the night sky, a short stretch of road in Coral Gate, Miami's very first subdivision, looks like any other street. But neighbors know otherwise.
"This street has been a problem for about 40 years or more," said President of Coral Gate HOA Maria Doval.
Amy Polanco is excited she will no longer need to navigate flood waters with her baby Sloan in a stroller each time rain dumps down.
"You can't tell there's a street, it just looks like a canal," she said.
Miami City Commissioner Manolo Reyes breaking ground on a new project to fix the flooding.
The Miami Department of Resilience and Public Works set to install new perforated pipes and drainage structures.
"This is a roadway that historically has been a challenge, been flooding for many years," he said.
Speaking of many years, Polanco says she'll be gone before then for fear of what rising sea levels could do to Miami.
"40, 50 years, I don't really see us here," she said.
A common fear both the commissioner and assistant director of the city's public works tell us is already being handled here and throughout other flood prone areas of Miami.
"We're well aware sea level is rising but because we are aware we will be responsible of us to take the proper actions," he said.
The project will only take about 60-days to complete. After, the road should not flood unless we get a ridiculous amount of water in a short period.