Road Closed: Floodwater Cracks Part of West Lake Rd

Drivers who take West Lake Rd. to get to County Road 95 will need to find another route for a while. A stretch of West Lake Rd. is closed due to damage from Tropical Storm Debby, according to Pete Yauch with Pinellas County's Department of Environment and Infrastructure.

The intersection of CR 95 and West Lake Rd. and a stretch of West Lake Rd. remained under water for nine days after Tropical Storm Debby drenched Palm Harbor. Drainage problems in the area kept the roads flooded.  On July 4, the water finally drained and county crews got a firsthand look at the damage.

"The pavement on West Lake had deteriorated to the point where staff felt it necessary to keep that section of roadway closed," said Yauch.

The pavement on the road is cracked in many places as the accompanying photos show.

CR 95 was opened, but barricades were put up to block West Lake Rd. at CR 95. The road closure ends near the entrance to the Wedgewood condo complex.

Yauch says crews will begin repairing the road this week.  

Drainage problems in the area were caused by multiple factors, according to Yauch. A water pump was not working at the pond in front of the St. George Pharmacy which is adjacent to CR 95. A water pump at the Wedgewood condo complex was not working. And, the surrounding terrain, which Yauch describes as a "closed drainage basin", does not have a place for rainwater to flow.

Both water pumps were in the days after Tropical Storm Debby moved through. However, a belt quickly broke on the water pump at the St. George Pharmacy and was never fixed, which may have contributed to the length of time the road was under water. 

"It is unknown at this time if any actions by the County will be taken against the entities which were to have pumps in operation during the storm event of June 24, 2012," said Yauch.

He believes his department does not have any regulatory power when it comes to situations like this. However, his department will be sharing the information with Pinellas County's Code Enforcement Dept.

Related Stories-