UPDATE: Lake Buffum Road West Remains Closed for Drainage Repairs
Bartow, Fla. (January 28, 2019) —Lake Buffum Road West just north of the intersection with Mills Road and Minor Road in unincorporated Fort Meade remains closed for emergency repairs needed to correct a pair of voids that formed around a stormwater cross drain beneath the pavement. Through-traffic continues to be detoured at Lake Buffum Road North and Lake Buffum Road South.
After placing about 10 cubic yards of cement slurry (flowable fill) into one void on Friday, the Roads & Drainage Division confirmed another void was discovered this afternoon on the north side of the earlier cavity. Division engineers believe the new void could be related to Sunday’s all-day rains. The county will place additional slurry into the second opening tomorrow morning. Repairs will be checked again on Wednesday to see if the fill material has hardened sufficient to support traffic and reopen the road, as well as to ensure no new cavities have formed. If the loss of bearing soils continues, the county will hire a geotechnical consultant to investigate further.
Due to the rural location, the detour route will be lengthy and motorists are advised to add more time to trips in this area. For more information, contact Bill Skelton with the Polk County Roads & Drainage Division at (863) 535-2230.
