The City of Wichita is moving ahead with a project for drainage improvements along a flood-prone street on the city’s east side.

Bleckley Drive has had ongoing problems with flooding during heavy rains, with flood depths of six inches to a foot.   Don Henry with the city’s Public Works department says a 100-year rain event can cause extreme flooding with depths of nearly five feet and a flow rate of seven feet per second.  He said parked cars along the street can be washed away in that type of flooding event.

The city completed a design for improvements in 2018 and Henry said in light of recent cost inflation, it would be appropriate to move ahead with the project now.  Staff met with neighborhood residents in March and April to get input.

Henry said the cost of improvements could exceed $100 million, and there is a concern about damage to properties downstream.   He said options will be considered during the design of the project to minimize that risk.

Staff is working on a final design concept and a schedule for the project, along with a proposed rate increase of 25 cents or more in the monthly stormwater utilities base fee to provide funding for the project.    A new cost estimate and schedule for the project is expected to be completed by early 2023, and the project will go back to the City Council for approval of a final concept and schedule, along with a rate increase.

The proposed improvements would eliminate standing water along Bleckley from Douglas to 13th Street North, and flooding would be reduced from Kellogg south to Waterman to make them passable during heavy rains.

The City Council has approved funding of $500,000 to finalize the design concept for the project.  The city’s Capital Improvement Program has a budget of over $6.3 million to fund the design, acquire right-of-way and start construction.   There’s no word at this time on when construction would actually begin on the project.