(Posted Aug. 13, 2015)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
A series of drainage improvements are planned to alleviate flooding problems on the south side of London.
Funding for the improvements comes from a federal Community Development Block Grant issued to Madison County on behalf of the city.
The county received one bid for the project from Finchum Excavating for $78,385. The project estimate was $82,400. The bid opening was held July 27. The county commissioners are forwarding the information to city officials for approval.
The three facets of the project are as follows:
- Installation of a new storm sewer line and catch basins along Fairview Avenue.
According to Steve Hume, London’s safety-service director, the area is especially dangerous in the winter because melting snow and ice does not drain properly, then refreezes creating large ice patches. The lack of functioning storm drains also causes large mud and water puddles to form on the street after big rains.
“The new line will drain naturally into the floodplain” that lies beyond the houses in the area, said Whitaker Wright of CDC of Ohio, the planning firm that administers grants for the county.
- Clearing natural and manmade debris out of Oak Run Creek from Center Street south to the city’s water plant.
“The debris blocks the channel, which contributes to flooding,” Wright said. “The last time the creek was cleaned out was sometime in the 1990s.”
- Installation of an extra catch basin at Antietam Street and Jenkinson Avenue where flooding is a problem.
“The whole area is very flat and prone to flooding. These projects will help,” Wright said.
