- March 4, 2025
Improvement plans include better drainage and stop signs, but no sidewalks.
BY WAYNE GRANT | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Scenic John Anderson Drive will be smoother, drier and slower to drive on after improvements that are set to begin this fall.
The Ormond Beach City Commission awarded a $3.4 million contract to Masci General Contractor Inc. Tuesday night.
The 280-day project is slated to begin in September, according to City Engineer John Noble.
Work schedules and public notices on lane closures and detours will be posted on the city’s website.
When improvements to John Anderson Drive were first discussed several years ago, adding sidewalks was part of the plan. However, the idea was abandoned after the public raised concern over having to cut down oak trees to make room for them.
The street will be milled and resurfaced from West Granada Boulevard north to the city limit, a distance of about two miles, which is standard improvement for asphalt roads.
Drainage improvements will be made where flooding often occurs from Orchard Lane to just north of Riverwood Drive and also at the intersection with North Halifax Drive. While the road is dug up for drainage work, the current six-inch water mains in those areas will be replaced by 12-inch pipes, providing more water pressure. A “poly tube” material will replace the galvanized piping, as well, to prevent rusting.
Also improving drainage will be new pipes at Fortunato Park, Royal Palm Avenue, Neptune Avenue and at 1110 John Anderson Drive that will take stormwater from the street to the Halifax River.
The city is also taking this opportunity to slow traffic by adding three-way stop signs at Neptune Avenue, Amsden Drive and Standish Drive.
“There have been big concerns about speeding,” Noble said.
In conjunction with the John Anderson Drive project, North Halifax Drive will be widened from Granada Boulevard to Banyan Drive to match the width of the street north of Banyan Drive. This will allow more room for bicycles.
“There will be a bike path making it easier for people to ride the Loop,” Noble said.
