The City of Butler is moving forward with a smaller project that could help reduce flooding issues while officials wait for state funding to complete a larger project.
During a meeting Tuesday, city engineer Joe Gray talked to members of Butler City Council- and several concerned local residents- about the Sullivan Run Flood Control Project. The city is awaiting final state approval for this $4 million project, and local officials say they’ve done their part to get the project ready to go as soon as the funding is granted.
The project is being done by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The city has obtained the construction rights of way and easements and submitted them to the state Department of General Services for approval. The city has also secured its portion of the $4 million project, which is $252,000. That money came from the Butler County Infrastructure Bank.
It could take another year until this work is done, so in the meantime, the city will clean out the sediment in Sullivan Run. This is routine work that’s done every couple years, according to Building Code Official John Evans. The last time it was done was before the big flood of Sullivan Run in 2017.
A company will focus on cleaning out the waterway from 200-feet upstream of Brady Street to 200-feet downstream of Penn Street, as well as a section under the West New Castle Street Bridge.
Heavy rains this past weekend caused Sullivan Run to again overflow and flood homes in the city’s West End.
Some residents showed up to Tuesdays Butler City Council meeting to hear what the city is doing to help with flood control.
