The Project Wide Advisory Committee is considering a cheaper option for shoring up the Morse Boulevard bridge embankment.
PWAC in 2016 voted to spend $1.7 million on a rock revetment project. That project was put on hold after Hurricane Irma in 2017 drenched The Villages. Stubborn water levels at Lake Sumter have yet to recede.
Richard Busche of Kimley-Horn Associates Inc. on Monday announced a “fourth option” is being considered to “inexpensively repair” the erosion problem at the island that supports the bridge.
“We stand ready to update the cost estimates,” Busche said.
He did not offer a specific dollar amount or even a ballpark figure. Busche indicated he could prepare an estimate for the August PWAC meeting.
While not delving into specifics, Bushe said the amount of armor stone that would surround the revetment could be reduced, bringing down the cost. A combination of matting and vegetation could also help address the erosion problem.
