Wichita City Council members have voted to approve funding for the first phase of a drainage improvement project for an east side neighborhood.
The city is planning to construct storm sewer improvements along Bleckley Drive from Kellogg north to Elm, and the work will be done in several phases. Public Works Director Gary Janzen said the neighborhood was developed in an area that used to be a creek, so it doesn’t take much of a rain event to cause issues. He said there have been historic problems for many years with flooding in the area, but the city has had the opportunity to address them until now.
The first phase will include utility relocations as needed and reconstruction of the concrete channel and Bleckley Drive between Waterman and Kellogg. The Council approved a budget of $13.8 million for the first phase, and construction is expected to begin in the next few months. The complete project is budgeted at $36 million and could run into 2028. The city’s Stormwater Utility Fund will be used to cover the cost of the project.
