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Plantation traffic to be slowed for project
Published June 23, 2009
CLUTE — A project designed to improve drainage is slated for next month, and though the work will temporarily slow traffic, city officials say the inconvenience is worth it.
“Drainage is a huge issue in Clute,” Councilwoman Shelly Key said. “We are focused on it.”
City Council recently approved hiring Matula and Matula Construction to replace the pipeline under Plantation Drive with large box culverts, a project that will cost the city $157,176, City Manager Kyle McCain said.
Temple Ditch, which crosses under Plantation Drive, is one of the main places water begins to back up, McCain said. Temple Ditch takes runoff through the city and drops it into the ditch that runs along Highway 332.
Work will begin on Plantation Drive between Lazy Lane and Main Street in late July and take about four months to finish, Public Works Director Gene Tumlinson said. Plantation Drive will be reduced from four lanes to two, but traffic will be able to move both ways at all times, he said.
The project is just one step toward solving Clute’s drainage issues, Tumlinson said.
In past years, heavy rains caused some homes and streets to flood, decreasing property values and creating a lot of problems for home owners, McCain said.
“We don’t want our residents to go through that again,” Key said.
As specified by city charter, 40 percent of property tax is designated every year to fixing the city’s drainage problems, and there are several more construction items the city can look forward to in the future.
City Council is unsure how long it will take the city to fix its drainage problems, but city leaders are dedicated to making sure they are fixed, Mayor Calvin Shiflet said.
A drainage study completed several years ago identified the intersection of Temple Ditch and Plantation Drive as a high priority to improve drainage throughout the city, McCain said.
One of the reasons it is a high priority is because it affects a large area, Tumlinson said. Although the work is far away from the areas that routinely flood, it will help fix problems upstream, he said.
The upcoming project is actually the second aimed at improving the flow through Temple Ditch.
More than a year ago, the city worked to improve drainage in the Clute Municipal Park and direct all runoff to Oyster Creek. That move lessened the amount of water going to Temple Ditch, making water move faster, McCain said.
The capacity of the entire ditch needs to be improved, but private property goes right up to the ditch, making widening a problem, McCain said. However, replacing culverts along the ditch is something the city can do, he said.
Over the next three to five years, city crews will work to replace the current culverts with larger ones where Temple Ditch hits Cemetery Street, Smith Street and Marion Street, Tumlinson said. No timetables have been set for those projects.
There also always are little projects going on all over town to improve drainage, McCain said.
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