One Day After Bond Issue Passes: Bixby Begins Flood Project Work

Work is underway on flood control projects in Bixby following voter approval of a $7,000,000 bond issue. Wednesday's work will connect the current drainage system with an expansion that promises to

Wednesday, August 11th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Work is underway on flood control projects in Bixby following voter approval of a $7,000,000 bond issue. Wednesday's work will connect the current drainage system with an expansion that promises to relieve residential flooding.

With the bond election over, the first job was to clean up the roadside. But the next job is moving dirt, breaking barriers that separate drainage ditches from work planned for the fall.

Voters approved millions of dollars of new drainage work to relieve flooding in two neighborhoods and downtown. The bond issue came after seven years of planning how to drain the residential areas of Bixby. And months of preliminary dirt work, so the work done under the bond issue could make an immediate difference. "That's the goal. To have the work under way to get some drainage relief," said Tom Hendrix, Bixby public works director. "If it's not done, it will still help."

Most of the land in Bixby is flat and low. The city has always had a flooding problem, and has already spent millions of dollars to fix it. City leaders believe the next set of projects will finally end most residential flooding in Bixby. "That's not to say that when we get a rain like we did in 1986, that we're flood proof," said Micky Webb, Bixby city manager. " That's not going to happen, in fact I don't think you can flood proof any place. With these projects we should cure about 90% of our flood problem, " he added.

Beside the flood control projects, the city will get a long delayed road project to widen Memorial drive. The first road construction project begins next year in conjunction with drainage work to make sure the new roadway will not flood.