FELLSMERE — A portion of County Road 512 that collapsed from heavy rainfall during Hurricane Milton – leaving a large hole in the roadway – reopened to motorists on Friday. The street now has two new, 60-inch concrete pipes to handle rainwater with a capacity of 276 cubic feet per second, according to county officials.
A portion of County Road 512 in Fellsmere that caved in after heavy rainfall from Hurricane Milton in 2024. PHOTO PROVIDED
The new pipes will last for the next 50 years. Addie Javed, public works director for Indian River County, called the installation a “long-term fix” instead of a temporary one.
“This has been a one-of-a-kind project in terms of collaboration. Having so many agencies involved, sometimes it can take a while to make sure everybody is on the same page in getting the project completed in a timely fashion,” Javed said. “We were able to achieve that. We wanted to make sure what we did stood the test of time. We not only repaired (C.R. 512) but improved and added more to the resilience of the structure.”
The previous metal culvert underneath the road was rusted and more than 50 years old, Javed said. C.R. 512 is also a major evacuation route for Fellsmere.
“The pipe was not big enough to handle the all the rainfall coming through. Flooding, water pressure, pushing the soil…this caused a big hole right in the middle of the street,” Javed said. “The pipe crumbled, and the soil got washed out. There was a 25-to-30-foot-wide hole. Nobody could go back and forth.”
The reopening comes a week before the popular Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival. All five Indian River County commissioners, Florida Senator Erin Grall, Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry, Interim City Manager Noah Powers and other officials gathered at the site in the 7700 block of C.R. 512 on Friday for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Dr. Addie Javed, public works director for Indian River County, stands along the improved, paved section of County Road 512 in Fellsmere. PHOTO PROVIDED
The $1.65-million-dollar project was a partnership between several agencies including Indian River County, the city of Fellsmere, FEMA, Florida Department of Emergency Management, St. Johns River Water Management District, Fellsmere Water Control District, Fellsmere Joint Venture, Florida Department of Transporation and Federal Highway Administration. FEMA will pay for the cost of the improvements.
County officials began repairs on Dec. 19 and finished on Thursday. The project was originally scheduled to last from 8-to 12 weeks.
Authorities closed C.R. 512 from State Road 60 to four miles north of the culvert during the reconstruction. Crews paved a section of the road that was 175 linear feet long by 40 linear feet wide.
Motorists were detoured to Interstate 95. Crews completed the project within three weeks, Javed said.
“We were able to get it expedited because of the need for getting this road open not only for the Frog Leg Festival which is next week but also because it’s an evacuation route, and also frequently used by nearby agricultural businesses,” Javed said.
Two new, 60-inch concrete pipes were installed underneath a section of County Road 512 that collapsed in October 2024 from heavy rainfall during Hurricane Milton. PHOTO PROVIDED
Some of those businesses include Egan Fruit Packing and Florida Shrimp Company aquaculture farm.
Hurricane Milton swept through Florida in October, spawning deadly tornadoes that tore through homes and brought heavy rainfall. There were no fatalities in Indian River County.
Northern Fellsmere saw 3.39 inches of rainfall, while Vero Lake Estates had 4.65 inches, according to Kole Fehling, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Northwest Vero Beach had 11.6 inches of rain and west Vero Beach had 9.87 inches. Meteorologists recorded 9.81 inches of rain near the Vero Beach Regional Airport.
Southwest Sebastian had 7.97 inches of rain, Fehling said.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
