Washington Boulevard to get flood gates
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Floodwater gushes from a manhole cover Aug. 19 along Washington Boulevard.
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Weather permitting, a contractor today will begin installing a $450,000 gate system -- reportedly the first of its kind in the state -- to automatically close Pittsburgh's Washington Boulevard in a flood.
PennDOT awarded the contract to Bronder Technical Services of Prospect, Butler County.
The project, which the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation hopes to complete by the end of January, is in response to an Aug. 19 flash flood that killed four people on a low-lying stretch of the road in Highland Park.
"It's a very simple gate system, similar to what you have at a railroad track," PennDot District 11 executive Dan Cessna said.
On Monday, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl reiterated his intention to seek solutions to flooding citywide.
This week, Mr. Ravenstahl said, the city will invite engineering firms to submit proposals for a study of problematic watersheds, including the Negley Run watershed that includes Washington Boulevard. He said the firms will be asked to provide recommendations for better managing storm water.
"Our goal here is to get fresh eyes on this problem, so that we can come up with a long-term solution that will improve the safety of our streets and residents' homes," Mr. Ravenstahl said in a statement.
Flooding long has been a concern in East End neighborhoods, but the fatal flood on Washington Boulevard focused new attention on the problem.
Nearly 300 residents and business owners voiced complaints about chronic flooding at a community meeting Councilman Bill Peduto held Sept. 6, while about 35 people voiced similar complaints at a session Councilman Doug Shields held Oct. 10. In some cases, property owners said, they've replaced basement appliances numerous times and sustained tens of thousands of dollars in water damage.
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is studying the creation of a storm-water management district, a government entity that would assess property owners a fee to build and maintain storm-water infrastructure, which is now lacking in parts of the city.
First Published October 25, 2011 12:00 am
