McAllen, Texas is more than halfway done with intensive drainage projects.
According to KRGV News, these projects came out from a bond proposal back in 2018 and cost a total of $22 million.
City leaders announced the completion of the northwest Blueline drainage improvement project, so McAllen now has only nine projects left to work on.
“We’re aggressively finishing those designs out, aggressively putting those projects out to bid, and putting them under construction,” said McAllen’s city engineer Eduardo Mendoza, reported KRGV News. “We have had significant rains, and the systems have been tested, and we have seen that those improvements are coming to fruition, and the citizens are reaping the benefits of the hard work that the city is doing addressing these drainage concerns,” Mendoza said.
Four of the nine projects are already at or about to begin construction. Five are still in the design phase.
“We'd like to stay ahead of that curve," Mendoza said about the progress of the projects, reported KRGV News. "It’s an issue we want to be ahead of and be addressing, so that we’re being as responsive to the citizens of McAllen as we can."
Besides the 2018 bond, the city has used money from capital improvement funds and drainage utility fees to work on other projects. According to Mendoza’s estimate, more than $50 million has been invested into drainage improvements since 2018.
Completed, under construction and pending projects include:
- Iris Avenue at Cynthia Avenue Drainage Improvements: Completed February 2020
- Marigold Avenue Drainage Improvements (Alley): Completed February 2020
- North 7 1/2 Street at Highland Avenue Drainage Improvements: Completed March 2020
- Harvey Avenue at North Main Street Drainage Improvements Completed: April 2020
- North 12th Street at Esperanza Avenue Drainage Improvements: Completed August 2020
- Gardenia Avenue at North 25th 1/2 Street Drainage Improvements: Completed October 2020
- Vine Avenue at North 48th Street Storm water Bypass: Completed October 2020
- Dove Avenue Drainage Improvements (North 10th Street to North 2nd Street): Completed July 2021
- North 43rd Street Storm water Bypass: Completed July 2021
- North 4th Street at Sunflower Avenue Drainage Improvements: Completed October 2021
- Northwest Blueline Regrade (Trenton Road To Outfall): Completed December 2021
Currently under construction or pending:
- South 2nd Street at Byron Nelson Avenue Drainage Improvements: Construction Programmed 1st Quarter 2022
- Primrose Avenue at Bicentennial Drive Drainage Improvements: Construction Programmed 1st Quarter 2022
- Storm water Gate Structure 254BL & 255 Bypass: Construction Programmed 1st Quarter 2022
- East Tamarack Avenue Drainage Improvements: Construction Programmed 1st Quarter 2022
- Quamasia Avenue at North 11th Street Drainage Improvements: Construction Programmed 1st Quarter 2022
- Martin Avenue Storm water Improvements (N. 6th Street to NE Blueline): Construction Programmed 2nd Quarter 2022
- Bicentennial Blueline (Tamarack Avenue to Harvey Avenue) Bridge Replacements Under Construction: April 2023 Completion
- Northwest Region Storm water Detention Facility (RDF): Under Design
- City of McAllen MS4 Storm water Quality Monitoring Program: Under Design
