The City of Paducah is taking the first step in a $32.5 million restoration effort to upgrade the city’s flood wall.
City Commissioners introduced an ordinance Tuesday night to enter into a cost-sharing partnership with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for the project. City Engineer and Public Works Director Rick Murphy says an effort to correct deteriorated corrugated metal pipes finished in 2010. He says the pump stations are the next priority.
“We have 12 pumps stations to get them fully restored, the next priority are flap gates and sluice gates then seal closures...”
Murphy says until now the city has worked on minor renovations and the proposed agreement would be a comprehensive restoration.
In the agreement, the federal government would be responsible for 65 percent of the cost and Paducah’s portion would be 35 percent or $11.4 million. The projects require federal legislation and appropriations.
The City took over operation and maintenance of the floodwall from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1949 and currently operates and maintains the levee system that extends 12.25 miles.
The Paducah Board of Commissioners will vote on the agreement May 9th.
Murphy said because the floodwall is a civil works project it requires federal funding--once the agreement is signed “we are in a position to initiate design work and some construction, but the hurdle is an appropriations bill.” He said the design and construction can not be initiated by the USACE until a bill has been signed to allocate funds.
The USACE has ranked the city’s levee safety action classification as a LSAC-3. The USACE levee safety program classification is to determine “risks to people, property, and the environment from inundation that may result from breach or malfunction of components of levee systems.”
