'ONLY IN FLORIDA' MOMENT: IGUANA NEST CREATES ASPHALT ISSUE IN KEY LARGO

​KEY LARGO, FL — After a concerned citizen sent Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein a note of concern regarding a 'weird sinkhole' in the road in her neighborhood in Key Largo, Monroe County Roads and Bridges staff found quite an interesting culprit—an invasive iguana had tunneled underneath the asphalt to create a nesting area.   
 
"After investigating the 'sinkhole,' we discovered iguanas have tunneled next to an old, abandoned culvert and found some soft sand where they were laying their eggs under the road," said crewmember Ron Havengar, who helped with the excavation. "We dug out the sand to a hard base, then compacted crushed lime rock in lifts, then paved over that. Only in Florida."
 
In addition to Havengar, Francisco Palomares, Robert Biers, Dan Oliva, and Sean Martin were also a part of the iguana-gate crew.
 
We appreciate our residents' keen eyes and taking the time to send a note of concern," said Upper Keys Roads and Bridges Administrator Kimberly Kelley. "We love special projects, especially ones with surprise endings."