Indy DPW working to address flooding concerns in west side neighborhood

INDIANAPOLIS — Flash flooding has cost people who live in one west side neighborhood thousands of dollars in damage over the years.

It’s a problem the city is looking to fix in the Biltmore Gardens neighborhood with a $7.4 million project.

Work is already underway as crews were out paving the streets Wednesday.

Sally Carroll has been living in the Biltmore Gardens neighborhood near West Washington Street and South Lynhurst Drive on the city’s west side for decades.

She said over that time flooding has cost her hundreds of thousands of dollars and priceless memories.

“We have lost a lot of things from the floods, and a lot of things from our children that we lost that I kept,” said Carroll. “I get nervous, and so does my husband, because if it rains a lot, it all backs up.”

Indy DPW said the project will add new culverts, more than 200 new manholes or inlets, and more than 10,000 feet of storm sewers.

“It’s an older neighborhood,” said Kyle Bloyd with Indy’s DPW. “And in a lot of the parts of the city, our infrastructure is a bit older. This neighborhood needed storm sewers, they need a whole bunch of solutions to fix their flash flooding issue. It is a big deal for this neighborhood.”

The area that’s being revamped runs east to west from South Mickley Avenue to Lynhurst Drive and north to south from Oliver Avenue to West Washington Street.

People who live here said the streets flood routinely.

FOX59/CBS4 crews were there in 2015 when then-Governor Mike Pence even toured the flooded neighborhood .

City-County Councilor Jared Evans said it’s flooding like this that spurred the project.

“I’m frustrated that in some ways it took so long to get to,” said Evans. “But I understand we have funding mechanisms in place that limit the capabilities of what we are able to achieve and do. We’re trying to address the worst. There is a priority here in making sure that we’re taking care of areas where flooding is getting into people’s homes. It’s a quality-of-life issue. It improves their quality of life, it gives them a little more sense of well-being in their home and safety in knowing that when it rains they don’t have to worry that a flood is going to occur in their own living room.”

People who live in the area said flooding has been an issue for years.

Carroll even shared a flood meeting flier with FOX59/CBS4 from 1961 detailing the issues.

Residents said they just hope the problem gets fixed.

“It’s about time. But I’m glad they’re doing it. It took them long enough,” said Brendon Hahn.

“It’s a good thing. It’s a good thing because nobody wants to keep driving around just looking for a street and you don’t have to go through water,” said Marilynn Thomas.

“I hope I live long enough to see it,” said Carroll.

Indy DPW said work on the project is expected to wrap up sometime in the third quarter of this year.

DPW said they have more than 20 stormwater-related projects planned for this year.

Bloyd said Mayor Joe Hogsett’s five-year, $1.2 billion capital infrastructure plan is investing $220 million in stormwater improvements, with $177 million allocated to drainage work and $26 million to culverts.

He said Indy DPW’s budget for stormwater-related projects has grown from $43 million in 2017 to $79 million in 2024, allowing the department to address more stormwater issues across the city.

Bloyd said more than 20 stormwater-related projects are expected to see construction in 2024.

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