DRIC construction could cause flooding, ERCA warns

Noise, dust, detours ... and now drainage. Storm water management in the Grand Marais Drain is the latest concern to surface in the construction of the Windsor-Essex Parkway — a section of which crosses over the drain at Huron Church Road and Grand Marais Road West.

The Essex Region Conservation Authority and the city of Windsor are worried the construction — which requires a section of the drain to be narrowed and diverted temporarily — will affect the drain’s ability to handle rain water and protect the houses downstream from a risk of flooding this spring.

This week, both ERCA and the city said the Ontario Ministry of Transporation and the parkway construction consortium have yet to provide them with any information showing the drain’s capacity will not be affected, nor have they provided a satisfactory emergency plan in case of heavy rainfall in the next few months.

“It’s irresponsible on the part of those giving instructions to proceed with this work,” said Tim Byrne, who oversees flood and erosion control for ERCA.

Byrne said ERCA has been asking for the information for a month now but has gotten the runaround from the ministry and the parkway construction group.

The Grand Marais Drain, which runs through the south part of the city, funnels stormwater for about a third of Windsor, starting around Central Avenue and feeding west into Turkey Creek.

As part of the parkway construction process, a 200-foot section of the drain under Huron Church Road has been narrowed to about one-fifth its width, and the water has been diverted by a temporary steel sheet dam, in order to accommodate the construction of three culverts that will support a section of parkway.

Byrne said construction over the drain began in mid-January.

The drain is partly blocked by wooden scaffolding, boards and framework where the three new concrete culverts are being poured.

With the drain temporarily narrowed, a flash rainfall could cause the drain to overflow, Byrne said.

Already, with a small rainfall earlier this week, there was a noticeable increase in the surface water elevation, Byrne said.

“That’s surprising for such a small rainfall,” he said.

In a strongly worded letter to the Ministry of Transportation and members of the construction group, the chief administrative officer of the city Helga Reidel informed them that the city will take “whatever action is available” to protect the interests of residents and “will hold the relevant parties financially responsible for any loss or damage that may occur as a result of the negligent blockage.”

While the drain is built to withstand a one-in-100-year storm, the section of drain under Huron Church Road can now only handle a one-in-two-year storm, Reidel said in the letter.

The diversion caused by the construction is a “blantant contravention” of section 80 of the Drainage Act, Reidel wrote, and an offence under section 82(2).

“Please take immediate steps to ensure that flooding does not occur,” the letter concluded.

In an email statement Friday night, Heather Grondin, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation, said the Parkway Infrastructure Constructors conducted the necessary studies and determined the construction along the Grand Marais drain would not pose a flooding risk.

"We're committed to an open process throughout construction of the parkway," Grondin said.

"We've been in contact with stakeholders and discussed our risk assessment of this project."

bfantoni@windsorstar.com or Twitter.com/bfantoni

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Original post:
DRIC construction could cause flooding, ERCA warns