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."
Residents also question whether the disruption and price tag are worth the results the project is expected to deliver.
More background
KWCH reported that Irene Countryman-Roswurm, who has lived on Bleckley Drive for 25 years, said flooding has not affected life inside her home. She told the station, "For the most part, the flooding hasn't affected our livelihood, has not affected how we live here, and we haven't dealt with flooding in our home."
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Countryman-Roswurm said, "Do we want to spend $37 million to assist in our public safety? I would say not. Just thinking about the maturity of the trees, you can't just replace these trees overnight. So, again, I'd say livelihood and access to our home, our health, and property values are the top three of my concerns."
The project is expected to continue through 2029.
What's being done?
Even as Wichita continues with the three-phase effort, neighbors are organizing outside a city informational meeting in hopes that officials will hear their objections and consider other drainage options, according to KWCH.
Roswurm said he still has questions about how much flooding the work would actually eliminate. "I believe it's somewhere between 8 and 18 inches of water after the project," he noted.
Where can I learn more?
Related coverage includes disputes over road projects, highway expansion, and conservation land.
• In Chicago, residents protested a neighborhood road project they say would disrupt daily life.
• In Colorado, families near the I-70 widening project condemned years of noise and expansion.
• In Florida, conservationists opposed construction of a toll road through protected Split Oak Forest.
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