The state Department of Transportation on Tuesday began inspecting the area underneath the section of Liberty Street that collapsed Feb. 1, cutting off electric service to the Berkman Villas Townhomes.
Department spokesman Ron Tittle said a contractor used a “robotic submarine” for the initial inspection, rather than allowing divers in the water due to safety concerns.
After the inspection is complete, the data will be sent to the department’s bridge engineers, who will issue a report that will be used by the city to devise a plan to allow JEA to restore electric service.
Twenty condos lost power when a section of the roadway fell into the St. Johns River. The condominiums are along the Northbank Riverwalk near The Plaza at Berkman.
Tittle said the report should be available within a few days.
“We will provide the report to the city as soon as possible,” he said.
Andrew Beaudoin, the homeowners association representative for the condo tower and the townhomes, said the association is working with an electrician to ensure the property is ready to be reconnected when JEA replaces the transformer that was damaged in the collapse.
In addition to the repairs, he said other costs incurred by residents and owners could include as much as $45,000 a month for generators to provide temporary electric service to the townhomes.
Beaudoin said the generators could be in operation within 10 days. Time estimates for the permanent repair are as long as six weeks.
Beaudoin estimated the cost of repair at no less than $18,000 for replacement of conduit and other components owned by the association that were damaged.
However, the final cost of the repairs will not be known until the state and city complete assessments of the damage and the condition of the area around the collapse.
“We ultimately will be asking the city to reimburse the cost to the owners,” he said.
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