Underpasses at I-17 keep flooding — but a fix is on the way
Project to replace old pumps will take 2 years
persistent flooding problems for roads that cross under Interstate 17 in north Phoenix will get fixed, but it will take two years to do so.
The problem is old pumps at Greenway Road, Thunderbird Road, Cactus Road and Peoria Avenue that can’t handle all the water in big rainstorms, according to the Maricopa Association of Governments.
And the problem reared its head again Wednesday morning when some drivers were stranded along the roadway and the Greenway underpass was closed during the morning rush-hour commute. Many drivers had to slog through a traffic rerouting.
There is some progress, though. A contractor recently was selected to begin a $38.4 million project to replace those old pumps with a gravity-system that will drain water faster, said John Bullen, transportation, economic and fiThe
nance program manager for MAG.
“The pumps themselves are old, not to mention that those pumps wouldn’t be as efficient as a gravity-fed system,” he said.
Actual construction should start in January, he said.
The new system will use 30-inch to 90-inch pipes to divert water to the Arizona Canal Diversion Channel near Dunlap Avenue. Crews will also build two water retention basins at I-17 and Thunderbird.
Several cars were stranded along the stretch of road Wednesday morning because of flooding, though the Arizona Department of Transportation had the underpass cleared within a couple of hours.
“Projects like this really show the value of investments in transportation,” Bullen said. “This (project) was part of the voter-approved plan back in 2004.”
MAG is responsible for long-range transportation planning in the region, and included the project in Proposition 400.
“Flooding during heavy rainstorms is a well-known problem under I-17, and this project will improve both the safety and efficiency of a critical freeway corridor,” MAG Chairman Mark Mitchell, mayor of Tempe, said in an Oct. 29 news release on the project.
“We appreciate that the foresight of voters allows us to continue to deliver transportation projects that make a difference in the daily lives of residents.”