The project—called Little Walnut Creek Flood Risk Reduction Project—is led by The Capital Delivery Services Department and the Austin Watershed Department and is expected to be completed by 2026.
The impact
During construction, Mearns Meadow Boulevard will be closed to through traffic from Rutland Drive to Parkfield Drive, and detour signage will be posted for drivers.
Austin is completing the project in four phases to limit the amount of road closures during construction. After each phase is finished, the portion of Mearns Meadow Boulevard that was closed will be repaved and reopened to through traffic.
The first phase is slated for completion in spring 2024.
The details
During construction, crews will dig a 20-foot trench along Mearns Meadow Boulevard and install a large concrete box culvert—rectangular-shaped pipe installed under the road. The culvert will divert flood water under Mearns Meadow Boulevard from Quail Valley Boulevard to the Mearns Meadow Detention Pond in Quail Creek Park instead of flooding homes and roads.
Crews will also upgrade water and wastewater lines and make improvements to Mearns Meadow Detention Pond and Quail Creek Park.
The context
The project comes after a history of intense flooding from Little Walnut Creek.
The creek experienced major flooding in 1981, 1991 and in 2004, some of which caused loss of life and millions of dollars of property damage.
However, city officials said the project will take some homes out of the floodplain and make any flooding that does occur much less severe.
