City begins flood risk reduction project in north Austin neighborhood

Flood risk reduction project in north Austin

Earlier this year, we reported on a neighborhood in north Austin that saw significant flooding after storms and heavy rain. This week, the city began phase one of an infrastructure project hoping to reduce the risk of future floods in that area.

AUSTIN, Texas - "Well, this has been a long time coming, in fact I think this project was supposed to have started years ago, and then I think there was some issues with the contractor or something, so better late than never. We are glad, particularly given the flooding that we had in the spring, so we are just glad that it is finally moving forward."

Those are the words of Larry Comer, who has lived in his home on Mearns Meadow Boulevard in north Austin for the past 17 years. He says recent floods caused by clogged drains nearly put his home at risk.

"I have never had any issues with flooding except for last April, and it wasn't the creek that was the issue, per se, behind the house, but upstream where the creek got clogged by the culvert and the water came out into the street," Comer said. "Luckily, I didn't have any damage from that."

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Saturday morning, the Capital Delivery Services Department started on phase one of the Little Walnut Creek Flood Risk Reduction Project, closing traffic on Mearns Meadow Boulevard from Rutland Drive to Parkfield Drive.

Detour signs were put up for drivers.

"It's a part of the nature of the beast of living in a metropolitan city," said Nick Rector, who lives near the construction. "You kind of have to understand that you are going to be dealing with improving infrastructure and so it is going to impact us."

According to the Capital Delivery Services Department, the improvements to the infrastructure include a 20-foot-deep trench along Mearns Meadow Boulevard used to install a culvert that is 13 feet by 10 feet. The project will progress in four phases along Mearns Meadow Boulevard, which will run into the Mearns Meadow Detention Pond in Quail Creek Park.

"The city has been pretty communicative about where the project stands, and they had a forum and communicated that via some flyers in the mail for us to understand where the project times lines are," Rector said.

Residents in North Austin neighborhood that flooded says claims are getting denied

Residents say their homes flooded because the city didn't maintain the creek system, especially after the February ice storm. Now, their frustration is mounting because they say every way of trying to get help is a dead end.

"Me and my neighbors, we have seen this coming because I think part of the overall plan is, I think, sometime, they are going to actually dig up this entire street on Mearns Meadow," Rector said. "So we know for a while we are going to be inconvenienced, but I guess, you know, it’s the cost of progress."

The project aims to reduce flooding for homes and roads near Little Walnut Creek, and also includes repaving Mearns Meadow Boulevard, according to the Capital Delivery Services Department.

"I know there is going to be some diversion of traffic, but for the most part it is going to be pretty easy for us on this block at least for the next six months, nine months until they get to this block", Rector said.

Phase one is expected to wrap up in spring of 2024.