Construction for the Venetian Way and Coronado Drive drainage improvement project in Gulf Breeze will begin Mon., Aug. 20. The project includes improved stormwater systems and construction of an outfall canal to improve the conveyance of stormwater. By contract, the project has a time of completion of 395 days. Construction hours will be Mon. through Fri., 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the event of weekend work, construction hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
 
“This project will provide much needed flood relief to residents in this area,” said Commissioner Lane Lynchard, District 5. “The county will continue to seek funding opportunities to leverage Local Option Sales Tax proceeds to improve our resilience to flooding.”
 
This $2.3 million contract is funded at 75 percent by a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grant with a 25 percent county match from local option sales tax. Following the historic flooding of April 2014, the county applied for federal funding to improve the drainage in this area. This project is the eleventh large-scale drainage project to be implemented with HMGP funding in the past nine years to improve drainage countywide. In combination with the HMGP grant, Santa Rosa County has completed $12.5 million in drainage improvements.
 
For additional information regarding this project, contact Michael Schmidt, Santa Rosa County engineering department, 850-981-7100.