The Lake County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 on July 14 to approve the Britt Road Reconstruction and Culvert Replacement Project in Mount Dora, paving the way for repairs to the section of roadway that collapsed after Hurricane Milton.

The motion passed with Commissioners Leslie Campione, Sean Parks and Anthony Sabatini voting in favor.

The board selected Ranger Construction Industries Inc. as the contractor after the company submitted the lowest bid among seven qualified bidders. The construction cost is $1,070,286.13 and will be funded entirely through federal and state grants.

Commissioner Leslie Campione

According to Campione, the use of grant funding contributed to the project’s lengthy timeline.

“The construction cost is $1,070,286.13, and is funded 100% through federal and state grants which is one of the reasons it has taken so long – a lot of red tape and agency review, environmental studies, topographic and hydrological studies were required,” she wrote in a social media post.

Photo by FloSight Drone Works

The project will reconstruct approximately 260 feet of Britt Road where the road collapsed and fell into a ravine after Hurricane Milton.

Improvements will include new 48-inch reinforced concrete pipe culverts and inlets, a baffle box for water-quality treatment, asphalt paving, pavement markings, shoulders and swales. The reconstructed section will also be widened to two 12-foot travel lanes with shoulders to improve safety.

Additional improvements include under-drains to capture subsurface groundwater and help protect the roadway foundation, a new 48-inch stormwater pipe to convey runoff from the southwest side of Britt Road to Lake of the Woods, roadside swales and stormwater inlets to collect and convey stormwater runoff, and an endwall at the stormwater pipe outlet to reduce discharge velocity and minimize erosion. Fabric-formed concrete and geosynthetic reinforced erosion control matting will also be installed to stabilize slopes and protect against erosion.

Photo by FloSight Drone Works

To help protect Lake of the Woods, the project also includes installation of a baffle box designed to remove sediment and pollutants from stormwater before it enters the lake.

Construction is expected to begin between July 27 and July 31, pending the posting of the contractor’s bond and the mobilization of equipment and materials. Britt Road is expected to reopen in October 2026.

Campione says the area being reconstructed “will be significantly stronger and more resilient” than before and noted that one of the project’s biggest challenges was acquiring the property needed to complete the work.

“Most of you who have followed this long process know our original obstacle was an unwilling seller of the area needed to rebuild the road,” she wrote.

Photo by FloSight Drone Works

About one year after the washout, Lake County acquired the necessary right-of-way for approximately $675,000 following negotiations. According to Campione, the acquisition was funded entirely through federal and state grant funds, with no local taxpayer dollars used to purchase the right-of-way.

She added that the county also purchased “a portion of the sloped areas near the washout as a condition imposed by the seller,” noting the property “will serve important drainage and conservation purposes.”

As Britt Road moves closer to reopening, Campione says she plans to advocate for additional safety measures.

“I know those who live on Britt have enjoyed the peace and quiet over the last year and a half,” she wrote. “As we get close to the reopening, I will push for added safety measures and signage to slow traffic and make Britt Road safer.”

Photos by Flosight Drone Works LLC, City of Mount Dora, Cindy Peterson