Drainage system upgrades in Harlingen to begin construction
Related Story
Drainage improvements are currently underway in Harlingen, and there are areas city leaders are focusing on.
Looking up at the skies in Cameron County on Friday made Harlingen resident Carr Grienier a bit worried about the rain.
"I said 'oh no, not again'," Grienier said.
Two months ago, floodwaters began creeping up his driveway in his neighborhood between Fair Park Boulevard and West Jefferson Avenue.
His neighbors down the street weren't so lucky.
The area south of Lon C Hill Park is on a list of places that will see nearly $2 million in drainage improvements.
The city says many drainage systems in older parts of town are not big enough to keep up with heavy rain.
"And back then, they weren't designed to the proper level of protection," Harlingen City Engineer Luis Vargas said.
Vargas says once completed in September, areas around Fair Park Boulevard will benefit from the nearby 14 acre Lozano Detention Pond.
Other areas in and around downtown will also see upgrades.
This summer, construction will begin on storm water system upgrades on 5th Street and 7th Street, benefiting areas around Polk Avenue and Commerce Street.
"We want to increase their size of the existing systems, we want to widen all the drainage canals," Vargas said.
Designs are complete for stormwater projects on Ed Carey Drive and Business 77, Jefferson Avenue and 21st Street, but before crews can begin digging, the city is working to get money from the state and the feds.
Later this year, the city will receive its updated master drainage plan and final designs for Commerce Street, which will act as a massive water collector and underground drainage system.
News
