In east Wichita, Kansas, a $37 million drainage project has become a flashpoint for one neighborhood. City officials describe it as a safety improvement for a street that repeatedly floods, but residents say the plan would dramatically change their neighborhood.
Here’s what to know
The City of Wichita is targeting Bleckley Drive for a three-phase drainage overhaul. According to city figures cited by KWCH, the street can flood about 10 times each year, with water sometimes reaching 3 feet deep for several hours and making the road unusable for drivers.
City officials say the project is meant to improve safety by rebuilding the corridor and adding large underground storm drains. Before that work moves forward, the plan calls for crews to take down dozens of shade trees and replace water and sewer lines.
Among homeowners’ biggest concerns is how traffic will be handled during construction. Resident Robert Roswurm said, “What you’re talking about then is, there’s going to be a temporary street placed anywhere between 10 and 15 feet from bedroom windows.”…