Harlingen To Receive Federal Funds To Help With Phase 2 Of Major Drainage Project

From the City of Harlingen:

December 3, 2019

Harlingen To Receive Federal Funds To Help With Phase 2 Of Major Drainage Project

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced the award of Federal Grants to the State of Texas which includes funding for Harlingen’s 9th & 13th Streets Drainage Project.

This project will help improve storm water run-off identified in the City’s 2008 Master Drainage Plan. It is a large project that calls for the removal of more than 7,180 linear feet of various sizes of storm sewer concrete drain pipes, 14 manholes, and 53 inlets along the length of the project.

The pipes will be replaced with 48 and 72-inch reinforced concrete pipes along with new manholes and curb inlets. It will also include utility adjustments, pavement restoration, curbs and gutter work and the installation of new 24 and 30-inch cross drain pipes. These improvements will alleviate flooding and address future flooding problems in the area.

The total cost for the project is $2.7 million with FEMA pitching in $1.1 million. The city included the remaining $1.6 million in the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year Budget approved by the City Commission in September.

Mayor Chris Boswell welcomes FEMA’s announcement. “The City of Harlingen is elated to be the recipient of the FEMA grant to support Phase 2 of the 9th and 13th Streets Drainage Projects. We are more than grateful to our federal delegation for their support of this funding to meet critical drainage needs for our City.”

This is the second grant the City has received for this project. In 2018, FEMA awarded the City $92,963 for Phase 1 of the project which included the development of the engineering design, survey, geotechnical analysis, and hydraulic/hydrology study.

The City will coordinate with the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) to process the funding. City Manager Dan Serna says he anticipates going out for bids during the first quarter of 2020 with a projected finish date of 10-12 months.

This project is one of ten improvement projects the City is currently working on, or just finished, aimed at helping minimize the possibility of flooding throughout the City. Those projects include Altas Palmas, Beckham Road, Lake Drive, Secluded Acres, Becky Lane, 13th Street Drainage Ditch, Dixieland Drainage Ditch, 9th & 13th Drainage Improvements, Halpin Road, and Jefferson Drain Ditch.

Residents can keep informed on these improvement projects by visiting the city’s webpage www.myharlingen.us and clicking on the special link titled Drainage Maintenance Map and Current Improvements under the popular links on the home page.

This press release was produced by the City of Harlingen. The views expressed here are the author’s own.