Underground Drainage System Helps Monsoon Storm Water Flow
Sections of Broadway, Tuscon with major flooding issues during monsoon storms will have these solved with new underground storm drains being installed.
2 miles of Broadway are undergoing a voter-approved improvement project. The city of Tucson, Pima County and the Regional Transportation Authority created this initiative back in February, according to KGUN 9.
The widening project includes: new sidewalks, street light, median islands and an improved underground storm drain system.
"Back at the west end at Euclid, we had a 96 inch storm drain. Very large, will capture quite a bit of storm water. And as we move farther east towards the country club, the storm drain gets smaller,” said Mike Graham, the public information officer for Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT). “So right now we're installing about 90 inches. So it goes from 96, to 90, and then it'll get smaller as we get east on the project towards Country Club.”
The development standards 50 years ago did not require underground storm drain systems, added Graham.
The project is approximately $26.5 million, with the drainage improvements $8 million of that total.
"During the monsoon season, we have a lot of water that is on our roadway. Today we're making improvements, and those improvements will help public safety,” added Graham.
A similar job was completed on the eastside in March, reported KGUN 9.
The Broadway East Improvement was also a 2-mile long road widening project. $13.5 million went into this project, with $3 million of it going to the underground storm drain systems.
The Broadway West Improvement project is slated to be completed by September 2021.
