Ocean City Project Set to Fix Drainage Woes in North End

OCEAN CITY – A multimillion-dollar drainage project the city hopes will ease nuisance flooding is set to begin in the north end of Ocean City early this year. 
On Dec. 28, City Council approved a $7.86-million contract with L. Feriozzi Concrete Co. of Atlantic City for the project. The job will include placing wider, higher-capacity drainage pipes, extensive repaving, and installing three pump stations along Bay Avenue to speed drainage in the area.
“It’s not going to be able to stop all of the flooding, although it’s certainly going to be able to drain more water at a faster rate,” said Doug Bergen, Ocean City’s spokesman.
The work is part of an investment in drainage and paving throughout the municipality. Officials have repeatedly cited a similar project in the Merion Park section near 34th Street, a low-lying area that was long plagued by nuisance flooding.
That project was completed in 2014, and neighbors have reported seeing an improvement. More work is underway in the city’s 4th Ward, with work continuing on a project between 26th and 34th streets.
Under the city’s capital plan, Ocean City expects to spend more than $40 million on road and drainage projects in five years and was on track to put out more than $10 million on projects in 2017.
According to Bergen, the city is in good financial shape, and low-interest rates mean this is a good time to tackle some of these major projects.
For this project, a $5-million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help cover the cost, according to information posted on the city’s website.
“Work could start as soon as they get mobilized, probably by the end of the month,” said Bergen.
That’s almost certain to mean traffic issues in the spring, as roads are closed and dug up for the work. Some inconvenience will be inevitable, he said, especially on the west side of town where the work will be completed.
The contractor will have to have the roads cleaned up and open for summer, he said, when hundreds of thousands are in the beach resort town.
The project will pick up again in the fall and could be completed in early 2019.
“The city has identified the most flood-prone neighborhoods on the island and is working with outside engineering experts to design comprehensive plans to mitigate flooding across these large drainage basins,” reads a statement posted to the city’s website.
No drainage system can completely prevent flooding in a barrier island like Ocean City, a fact Bergen readily acknowledged.
If a high tide overtops the bulkheads, there’s no way to keep the water out. But the city infrastructure work aims to reduce the amount of flooding from rain and to prevent high tides from entering city streets through its own drainage system.
In some areas of town, water from heavy rain has been reported to sit for several tide cycles. The three pump stations are expected to speed that draining process.
The city spending is also expected to address road conditions throughout town. But much of the focus is on improving drainage throughout the island.
“Engineers also will study potential solutions to flooding along the bay side between 46th Street and 51st Street, at 35th and 36th streets and in the lagoon community along West 17th Street. More drainage basins will be added as these projects progress,” reads a synopsis on the city’s website.
At the Dec. 28 meeting, council voted unanimously in favor of approving the project contract. 
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.