Workers paved sections of Ash Street on Tuesday, Sept. 1, as Fernandina Beach's downtown drainage project nears completion.

Project Upgrades Stormwater Pipe Near City Hall

The Ash Street Stormwater Project, known locally as "the Big Dig," replaces roughly 507 feet of 24-inch stormwater trunk line with 36-inch pipe near City Hall. Another 69 feet of pipe is being upgraded to larger elliptical reinforced concrete pipe. The work also includes a new lift station on Ash Street.

Weather Pushed Paving Back a Week

The city said the project is "nearly complete" as of Wednesday, Sept. 2, according to the Fernandina Beach News-Leader. Paving had originally been scheduled for Friday, Aug. 28, but the city posted on Facebook that afternoon that weather pushed the work from Fifth Street to Front Street to the following week.

Railroad Permitting Delayed Summer Timeline

The project hit delays this summer. Deputy City Manager Jeremiah Glisson said in an Aug. 4 city update that permitting for boring under the CSX railroad tracks slowed the timeline. The original completion deadline under the project's state grant was June 10.

State Grant Funded Construction

City bid records show the project received funding through state grant 22FRP105. The project went out for bid in late 2025, with construction set for 2026, according to emergency management stakeholder meeting minutes. By late June, the Fernandina Observer reported the section between South Second and South Fourth streets was about 99 percent complete and Ash Street had reopened in that segment.

City Approves New Stormwater Fee Structure

The drainage upgrade comes as the city rethinks how it pays for stormwater work. On the same day crews paved Ash Street, the Fernandina Beach City Commission approved a new stormwater utility fee structure in a 3-1 vote, according to Nassau Newsline. Utilities Director Andre Desilet told commissioners that 92 percent of the city's stormwater maintenance needs are tied to public infrastructure shared by all residents and businesses.

Commissioner Joyce Tuten supported the new fee ordinance. "The stormwater department completed only 2 percent of its required maintenance last year due to insufficient revenue," Tuten said at the Sept. 1 meeting.

No Completion Date Set, Major Work Is Done

Road closures on Second and Front streets during construction affected downtown traffic for months. No final completion date has been announced, but paving represented the project's last major construction phase.