Work to reduce flooding in North Park nearing completion

After years of calling on the city to address flooding issues in the North Park area, residents may finally see some relief when a stormwater management project on Riverside Boulevard is completed sometime after Thanksgiving.

On Nov. 15, city officials said that the work on the Riverside Boulevard drainage pipe is in its final stages and that the project will help curtail flooding that has plagued the North Park community for decades.

In a statement, City Council President Thomas Sofield, Jr. addressed the specifics of the project and said that the work consists of replacing a 12-foot section of stormwater pipe.

“The new section of pipe has been fitted with a backflow valve that allows stormwater to enter Reynolds Channel during low tide, while preventing the bay from entering the collection system during high tide events,” he said.

According to City Manager Charles Theofan, the $85,000 project, originally slated for completion on Oct. 29, started a week later, but said that despite the delays, careful planning went into the project.

“It took two years of real study and figuring out the most cost-effective way to solve the problem,” Theofan said. “It should’ve been done sooner, but it presented a lot of technical problems. If you want to point fingers and pass the blame around, it was a problem we were looking for a solution to. It took us time to figure out, and we’ve done it.”

Long Beach Department of Public Works Commissioner Kevin Mulligan, said that the pipe, which is below ground at Riverside Boulevard north of Park Place, is now in place. The necessary valve meant to ensure for the project to work, he said, has been installed. He said he anticipates the project in its entirety to be completed after the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We need to do resurfacing and make sure the condition of the roadways are in better shape,” he said. “We also haven’t signed off on the final inspection.”

He added, “I want to get the contractor, and manufacturer of the valve, down there. I want to make sure everything is working as it should.”