In a recent council meeting, representatives from the engineering firm Herbert, Rowland & Grubic presented a much-anticipated plan to revitalize Evans City’s outdated stormwater system. Council Member Mark Widdersheim emphasized the urgency of the project, saying, “It’s a zillion years old.” The current system’s inadequacy has led to increased flooding in the town’s lower-lying areas, where Breakneck Creek occurs.
Phase 1 of the project zeroes in on Elizabeth Avenue, a region experiencing blockages owing to silt and debris in the stormwater system. The engineers’ approach entails rebuilding structures in that area to efficiently channel stormwater away from streets and direct it into the creek. As Widdersheim highlighted, “Rebuilding the structures under there will give us clean passages with larger diameters and more hydraulic flow to be able to get rid of stormwater faster.”
Moving forward, the borough will initiate the contractor bidding process by the end of the month, with construction expected to start by June, as projected by Devin Dunwoody, HRG’s project manager. In addition to the primary upgrades, supplementary “build alternates” may be incorporated in the project if funds permit, further bolstering the stormwater management system and enhancing the overall resilience of Evans City against flooding threats.
