Indy Launches $40 Million Program To Protect Roads From Water Damage

Indianapolis officials Tuesday announced a new effort to protect the city’s roads from stormwater damage. The Department of Public Works, or DPW, will put more than $40 million this year towards the Stormwater Improvement Capital Program.

DPW Director Dan Parker says a lack of drainage causes a lot of the city’s pavement issues.

"There's parts of Indianapolis that are really flat, that have really old drainage and stormwater capacity," Parker says. "So this is going in and sort of fixing a lot of that."

Parker says no study has been done to determine how much money is needed to bring the city's stormwater infrastructure to fair condition. But he says the program is a big jump from funding under previous mayor Greg Ballard's administration, which Parker says was around $5 million a year.

Parker says the southside, the northeast side, and the old city limits are littered with stormwater issues they'll attempt to fix. And he says they plan to study and design solutions for an area off of Rockville Road, on the city’s westside.

Information sheets on project plans will be posted to the city's website. Right now you can see plans for Upper Blue Creek drainage improvements, Perry and Franklin townships drainage improvements, and the Indianapolis Local Flood Protection Project.

Parker says residents can help the city's effort by keeping ditches clear of debris and grass. This helps water flow freely, which can prevent flooding.

This year's program is part of a larger $131 million commitment for stormwater improvements, to be used by the city over the next four years.