Orange County, Florida

Yucatan Drive Drainage Improvements

The Yucatan Drive study area is within the Lake Barton sub-watershed (389 ac) in the Little Econlockhatchee Watershed and has a project area of 14.6 ac. The Cocos Drive and Yucatan Drive areas of Azalea Park experience chronic flooding during medium to large rainstorm events. Field investigations indicated excessive stormwater velocities were causing erosion problems along portions of the drainage canal. The project is located along an existing drainage system that begins just south of SR 408 and flows north through dual 6-ft by 7-ft box culverts and connects to an existing canal. The stormwater continues to flow north through the canal and culverts at Cocos Drive (42-in and 24-in) and Yucatan Drive (48-in) and connects to the E-8 Canal. The project area is within the SJRWMD and Orange County Commission District 3. The project scope included stormwater modeling and evaluation of alternatives as well as final design and permitting to provide a 25-year level of service for the culvert crossing at Cocos Drive and Yucatan Drive. Field visits were conducted to review the condition of the existing system. An existing ICPR model of the watershed was updated and used to identify flow constrictions, areas with erosive velocities, and to determine the required capacity improvement to provide the desired level of service. Three alternatives were provided that would provide the desired level of service. Alternative 3 improvements were incorporated into the final design and an Environmental Resource Permit was prepared and submitted to the SJRWMD. Engineering services included stormwater evaluation, hydraulic modeling, erosion control design, channel modification, environmental evaluation, culvert design, roadway design, permitting, and preparation of bid package.

The final design included the following components:

• Cocos Drive - A 5-ft x 9-ft box culvert with new headwalls/endwalls, upstream and downstream erosion protection (cable concrete), replacement curbing, sidewalks, fencing, guardrails, and P Type stormwater inlets
• Canal between Cocos Drive and Yucatan Drive - Cable concrete erosion protection
• Yucatan Drive - Three 48-in RCP culverts with new headwalls/endwalls, Type C ditch bottom inlet; upstream and downstream erosion protection (cable concrete), replacement curbing, sidewalks, fencing, and inlets

RCS also provided construction oversight and site certification on the project.