Tunneling is expected to being this spring on a $319 million drainage project.
Every time it rains, long-time East Dallas neighbors worry about a repeat of the tremendous flood they saw 10 years ago.
Homes, businesses and many cars were swamped when a deluge on March 19, 2006 left lakes of standing water around Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and other parts of the city's east side.
Mike Rhone with metal fabricating company Citywide Mechanical remembers it well.
“I’m always concerned,” he said. “I’m always wondering when I come in if I’m going to have flooding or not.”
His business is well above street level, but that day flooding from the street left six inches of water through his entire shop. It ruined the business office and sheet metal items that were standing in the flood.
“I had no idea it was going to be that bad,” he said. “I’d seen street flooding before, but nothing like that.”
At a Dallas City Council meeting four years ago, former Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm said the East Dallas flood threat keeps her awake at night when it rains.
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The problem is an old storm drain system dating back to the 1930s which is inadequate for the much larger, modern city.
The solution to the problems is a $319 million deep-tunnel drainage project, which is finally set to begin this spring.
City of DallasThe tunnel 30 feet in diameter dug out between 70 and 150 feet below the ground will travel five miles from near Downtown east to White Rock Creek and the Trinity River. Five intake sites along the way will collect and remove water from the existing storm drains.
A February City Council briefing on the project said contract approval is expected as soon as April, with construction to begin as soon as May.
Completion of the project is not expected until 2021.
“That’s a long ways out with the rain we’ve been having for sure,” Rhone said.
Other Dallas Flood Control improvements are completed or already under construction to help with other flood prone areas of Dallas.
City of Dallas' Mill Creek/Peaks Branch/State-Thomas Drainage Relief Tunnel Update
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