Broad Ripple Random Ripplings
search menu
The news from Broad Ripple
Brought to you by The Broad Ripple Gazette
(Delivering the news since 2004, every two weeks)
Subscribe to Broad Ripple Random Ripplings
Brought to you by:
VirtualBroadRipple.com Broad Ripple collector pins EverythingBroadRipple.com

Everything Broad Ripple HomearrowRandom Ripplings Homearrow2007 06 29arrowRandom Rippling

back button return to index button next button
Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v04n13)
Breaking down the Levee... One question at a time - By Ashley Plummer
posted: Jun. 29, 2007

By Ashley Plummer

At the request of numerous emails from readers, the Gazette sat down with members of the Indianapolis Department of Public Works staff to hammer out some specific questions area residents had in regards to Phase 3C of the North Levee Project, also known as the Monon/Broad Ripple Phase.
Assistant Administrator John Oakley and Senior Project Manager Denny Lenahan were present to provide much-sought information on street closings, levee visibility and projected construction periods in the area.

When will we actually see the levee coming out of the ground?
Oakley: "I would say probably within the next few weeks. The contractor, who is Bowen Engineering, is backfilling the excavation along Westfield Boulevard-which is still scheduled to reopen on the 29th of June (2007)-and, as they are finishing that, you may notice the large excavator that is present. As Bowen continues to finish that work, it ramps up to the installation of the steel sheet piles. The steel sheets are what will be driven into the ground-they make up the actual floodwall. The concrete that will be present above ground is strictly decorative. Those events should be taking place within the next few weeks."

When will we see the finished wall in front of the Indianapolis Art Center?
Oakley: "Actually, the way the construction sequence is set up, is that we cannot conflict with a number of events held at Optimist Park, the main one being the Art Fair. There are a couple of other events that we have to work around, including the Brewfest. It's in the contract that we cannot block access to the park during the times surrounding these events. The goal right now is to get geared up again on working on that area, and finish the construction prior to next year's art fair. That may not include certain components, such as grass restoration, but as much as possible. The goal is to have the wall up and the openings in prior to next year's art fair."

How high will the wall be?
Oakley: "Between two and five feet, but the only constant height on the wall is the top. Basically, what the wall does is fill in the spaces between high ground. It just fills in the gaps, so, in some areas, it is actually less than two feet. If readers want a good example of how the height of the wall will transition throughout its length, they should go up and look at the section between Kessler and College on Riverview."

What is the reason for tearing down mature trees in the construction area?
Oakley: "We have to take the ones out that are in the alignment of the wall. Our goal with the wall was to find the optimum location on the ground. We did not want to put it down along the riverbank, because the height would have to be much taller. These trees had to come out because it was the Corps job to follow the optimum point for the wall to be built. There is a segment on Westfield, where it looks like an entire line of trees has been cut down. That's the location of the Storm Water Lift Station, which will be the facility that the large subsurface drain goes into. What that does in the event there is a flood, the river is above elevation, and if there is a major storm around here, the station keeps the water from pooling behind the levee. We don't want to have a situation where we are protecting ourselves from the river but flooding ourselves internally. Another main part of this are the new federal regulations that have come out as a result of the devastation to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. They have not finalized their policies, so we cannot really say for sure what the extent of future tree removal will be. We do know that a focal point of their new policies will be looking at trees on the land side of the flood protection rather than the riverside. So, we could have a situation where you could still have trees between the floodwall and the river, and nothing between the floodwall and the levee, but we still do not know what the final federal policy will be. We are required by the state and the Department of Natural Resources to mitigate for that tree removal, and we will be doing that at a site called Lake Sullivan off 38th Street and Cold Springs Road. We will go in and plant a bunch of trees and aquatic species.

What were concerns of the post-Katrina requirements involving trees?
As floodwalls collapsed, the water destabilized the trees in that area and they fell over.

___________________________________
Road Closures
According to Oakley, Westfield Blvd. is scheduled to be reopened on June 29, 2007, and the contractors anticipate a second road closure in another four to six weeks. That closure will last for about 14 days maximum and will entail the construction of the foundations for the Storm Water Lift station.
A major closure will take place in the fall, Oakley predicted sometime in October. Westfield will be closed for approximately 60 days at this point. The Department of Public Works is waiting until this time because it will be passed the peak flow period for the canal and river.

Map of Levee road closures in Broad Ripple
Map of Levee road closures in Broad Ripple
image courtesy of DPW




back button return to index button next button
Brought to you by:
BroadRippleHistory.com Broad Ripple collector pins EverythingBroadRipple.com
Brought to you by:
EverythingBroadRipple.com RandomRipplings.com Broad Ripple collector pins