FDOT begins work improving Nova Canal drainage system in Volusia County

Volusia County’s Nova Canal is getting a major makeover from the state.

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Right now, Florida Department of Transportation crews are working on a 7.5-mile stretch that runs through Holly Hill, Port Orange and Daytona Beach.

FDOT will restore the width and depth of the canal. The project also includes clearing clogged drains and removing trees.

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Port Orange Mayor Don Burnett hopes the work helps areas that historically flood.

“We want people to know that the systems we have in place right now will work as efficiently as possible, and that’s why the impact of the Nova Canal right here in Port Orange is so important. Not just for our city, but the entire region,” said Burnett.

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In Daytona Beach’s Midtown neighborhood, residents are waiting for an Army Corps of Engineers study to determine the best way to keep the area from constantly flooding. They’re thankful something is being done in the meantime.

“There’s other places they work on like the beach. Let the beach be the beach. People still have fun there. But you still got people out here who are homeless,” said Daytona Beach business owner Malcolm Banks.

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Work is already underway in Holly Hill, and eventually, crews will make their way to Daytona Beach and finish up in Port Orange.

The project could lead to some traffic lane shifts and will go on until the end of this year.

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