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Palm Bay 'interchange to nowhere' may open in December after delays slow connector road

Rick Neale
Florida Today
Looking west on Sept. 30, a drone photographs construction of Palm Bay's St. Johns Heritage Parkway "connector road" linking the new Interstate 95 interchange with Babcock Street.

Since Aug. 2, the long-anticipated Interstate 95 "diverging diamond" interchange at the St. Johns Heritage Parkway has sat completed, awaiting its first vehicles.

But there is nowhere for vehicles to go. Palm Bay officials say months of delays have struck their 1.67-mile "connector road" linking the interchange with rural Babcock Street.

Road construction is progressing, with a target opening date of Dec. 2, weather permitting. But the delays have drawn the ire of State Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, who accused the city of "gross malfeasance."

“The level of incompetence here is so breathtaking that it is almost beyond comprehension,” Fine said in a Wednesday press release.

“Palm Bay agreed with FDOT to build this connecting road in 2013, and to not get it done over six years — while asking the state and federal government to spend $27.8 million — should be criminal. To not even be able to say when it will be finished is unconscionable," Fine said.

"If you can’t build a road, you shouldn’t rule a city," he said.

Crews are shaping Palm Bay's St. Johns Heritage Parkway "connector road" linking the new Interstate 95 interchange with Babcock Street.

Palm Bay officials sought bids from construction companies in January 2017 to build the $9.9 million connector road. City Manager Lisa Morrell, who was appointed in November, listed key ensuing snags: 

• A construction company protested the bidding process, triggering a formal process that delayed the contact award until January 2018. Notice to proceed was not issued until March 2018.

• Gopher tortoise removal and surveys triggered 56 days of delay.

• Weather delays totaled 55 days.

• Construction issues with a 500-foot segment of roadway connecting with Babcock Street cost another 43 days.

"It's delayed, yes. But is it on track, and there's movement? Absolutely," Morrell said.

A Palm Bay priority since 2008 when plans for the ambitious "Emerald City" emerged,  the St. Johns Heritage Parkway interchange will open thousands of acres of forest and farmland for future development. Morrell labeled the transportation link "a development catalyst."

The city's connector road — the southeasternmost portion of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway — is a four-lane divided highway featuring 7-foot bike lanes, a 6-foot sidewalk along the south side and a 12-foot multi-use path along the north side.

Local option gas taxes are financing the $9.9 million road project, Morrell said.

The St. Johns Heritage Parkway exit on Interstate 95 remains closed.

In a January letter, Alison Stettner, FDOT planning and environmental management administrator, cited Palm Bay's 2013 memorandum of agreement. Per that document, FDOT's commitment to build the interchange was predicated upon connection to a public road when construction was completed.

Palm Bay's construction delays have added about $475,000 in FDOT costs for rerouting a main power supply line to the interchange, sign modifications and traffic maintenance, Stettner wrote.

Morrell and City Engineer Frank Watanabe disputed FDOT's  assessment. Watanabe said Palm Bay's design contract did not include those power lines following the roadway to the interchange, and the project has evolved over time — drawings originally depicted a half-clover interchange design, not a diverging diamond.

"There were additional costs. There was $475,000 in that letter that they referenced. Was that a direct result of the city of Palm Bay? I do not believe so," Morrell said.

"Maybe missed coordination: This was an (agreement) signed in 2013. It was never updated at any point in the term," she said.

Fine labeled Palm Bay's reasons for delay "disgraceful." 

"The answers aren't good. The fact that it happened is unacceptable," Fine said Thursday.

"The two sides should be coordinating. For Palm Bay to say this $28 million asset has to sit unused at a cost of $500,000 because it rained is beyond unacceptable," he said.

"They couldn't build a road in six years. How can they function as a city?" he asked.

Wednesday afternoon, Palm Bay officials met with Brevard County officials in Viera to discuss installing a traffic signal at Babcock Street and the connector road, as well as widening the intersection. An interlocal agreement for the $1.5 million project will appear on Tuesday's Brevard County Commission agenda, Morrell said.

"We should be done with all the curbing this Friday. They've already started 'chasing it' with the rock material. So we hope to have the rock done in two weeks. And as soon as the rock gets done, they can start paving. So we're that close," Watanabe said.

The road linking Palm Bay's Interstate 95 interchange with Babcock Street may be substantially complete by Dec. 2.

Why wasn't the connector road built the past six years? Morrell said the May 2013 agreement with FDOT dates to former city manager Sue Hann, when the St. Johns Heritage Parkway was a conceptual plan.

From 2013-15, the city and FDOT secured right-of-way and environmental permitting for the interchange and connector road, Deputy City Manager Suzanne Sherman said.

"From '16 to '18, that was all paperwork, procurement — who's paying for what — funding sources, and then a protest and a process of a protest, and then a final award. So that ate up a lot of time," Morrell said.

Morrell became city manager in November, after her predecessor Gregg Lynk was fired by the City Council. 

"On the priority list when I started, council said, 'The St. Johns Heritage Parkway — there's lots of issues out there. You're going to need to fix those first,'" Morrell said.

In December, Morrell said she organized a "war room" meeting with city engineers, Community Asphalt and developers to address stormwater pond drainage issues along the connector road. 

FDOT's $27.8 million I-95 interchange project kicked off in February 2017 with an original completion date of July 2018. However, additional design work added time to the contract, as well as weather days and holidays, said Steve Olson, FDOT spokesman.

In his press release, Fine said his office asked City Hall when the connecting road would be completed, but "they were unable to provide an immediate answer and stated that they needed to hold meetings to determine an answer."

Palm Bay officials said the Dec. 2 date was readily available, but Fine asked for a breakdown of delays, construction cost and other information. A written response was sent to Fine on Wednesday afternoon.

"We're not avoiding the situation, not reacting to it. But certainly, we do want to respond to all our constituents' concerns," Morrell said.

Two years ago, months of delays also struck the $12.5 million section of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway linking Emerson Boulevard in Palm Bay with U.S. 192 in West Melbourne.

Managed by Brevard County, this new 3.1-mile road was initially scheduled to open to traffic by April 2017. But thousands of feet of leaking stormwater pipes pushed that date back nearly seven months, to November 2017.

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Palm Bay 'connector road' timeline

May 2014: Palm Bay city staffers request approval to begin negotiating and executing right-of-way acquisition agreements with property owners.

January 2017: City officials seek bids to design-build the southeast stretch of the St. Johns Heritage Parkway connecting Babcock Street with the future interchange.

July 2017: Construction bid protest filed by Jr. Davis Construction Company.

January 2018: Construction contract awarded to Community Asphalt

March 2018: Notice to proceed issued, followed by 56-day delay for gopher tortoise removal.

May 2018: Work begins, following design delay and gopher tortoise relocation.

December 2018: Developers, city staff and Community Asphalt representatives discuss stormwater and drainage ponds.

June 19, 2019: Original substantial completion date. Officials add 127 days, postponing the date to Oct. 24 (citing 56 days for gopher tortoise removal, 17 days of weather delays, 11 days for additional embankment, and 43 days for a right-of-way access issue).

July 2019: Last drainage pipe installed.

September 2019: Stormwater structures and piping completed.

Oct. 24, 2019: Substantial completion date postponed after 38 additional days of weather delays.

Dec. 2, 2019: Projected date of substantial completion.

Source: Palm Bay City Hall

Neale is the South Brevard watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. 

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1