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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-10-2011 Intersection re-opens with natural creek, roundabout 04 SOUTH � O U d W PEACE a 1865 Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE November 10,2011 10:30 a.m. Intersection re-opens with natural creek, roundabout Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications& Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876- 1564, Gary Gilot, Director of Public Works, Patrick Henthorn,Asst City Engineer, 235-9251 Mayor Stephen J. Luecke today will cut the ribbon on a re-opened Angela Boulevard/ Riverside Drive intersection with a new roundabout, multipurpose paths and more expansive space for the Riverside Trail and Brownfield Park. I V 1 1 Utility crews' ongoing response to East Coast storms will temporarily delay the installation of a power supply for one of the most anticipated features: a man-made channel that resembles a natural creek. In wet weather, storm water will run through the channel alongside a multipurpose path from the west along Angela Boulevard before cascading down two waterfalls into the St. Joseph River past a Riverside Trail overlook. In dry weather, a pump will keep a constant level of water flowing through the channel. The amenity is no mere neighborhood embellishment, but an integral part of the first phase of a new trunk storm sewer extending west along Angela Boulevard and Diamond Avenue. The project will reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) on South Bend's west side while safeguarding the environment and preserving clean water. The $3.1- million effort is part of the City's federally mandated, 20-year CSO long-term control plan, which eventually will cost $500 million and become South Bend's most extensive public-works project. "This natural looking creek adds beauty, livability and quality of life to our core city neighborhoods for the same dollars it would have taken to solve drainage and combined sewage basement backups with big, deep, buried sewer pipe,"Luecke said. "Our City engineers consulted with neighborhood residents to provide the most affordable and attractive solution at the starting point of the Riverside Trail, while solving critical infrastructure concerns." w - 7 - The open air agitation of storm water in the channel actually helps enhance the water quality before returning it to the St. Joseph River. Ti. s o� r 3 t3 At the same time, the original Angela/Riverside intersection featured roads that were offset with different widths and lane configurations. Further west, as Angela approached Woodward Avenue, a sharp vertical curve was not conducive to good traffic patterns. In addition to the green storm-water solution, engineers changed traffic flow to the intersection by: • Moving the intersection west, creating more park space along the river's edge south of Angela. • Creating a roundabout at the intersection, enhancing pedestrian safety. • Constructing a bridge along Riverside over the channel. • Extending a multipurpose path along Riverside up the hill (south of Angela) and along Angela(west of Riverside). • Adding additional parking for Brownfield Park along Angela and pedestrian-scale lighting along the new walkways. The new parking lot also helps shore up the 2.7-acre Brownfield Park, preventing future turf damage. A neighborhood basketball court also was expanded to full court in the project and two soccer goals with nets were installed. In a later phase of this storm-sewer project, a major trunk sewer will follow Diamond Avenue from Lincolnway to Walnut and Euclid, conveying storm water from a previously separated storm sewer in an area known as "Model Cities." South Bend is among nearly 800 U.S. cities that are mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act to make investments upwards of$50 billion to improve water quality by separating lines that combine storm water and sewage. Since 2006,the City of South Bend has invested $43 million to reduce CSOs and the problems associated with them. Efforts include expansion of the 54-year-old Wastewater Treatment Plant work to separate combined sewers while building capacity for additional storage. Working with partners in the private sector and academia,the City also is implementing CSOnet—becoming the world's first city to monitor and control combined sewer overflows with technology. Wireless sensors, computers and smart valves now enable the City of South Bend to control wet weather flow and save $117 million in capital costs. Between 2010 and 2013,the City will spend another $70 million on the long-term control plan. Projects will include additional separations of storm and sanitary sewers, expanded capacity to retain storm water and a greater emphasis on green solutions, which address storm drainage through natural solutions on-site. Since opening its Wastewater Treatment Plant in 1955,the City of South Bend has worked diligently to improve water quality when, like many cities, previously all sewage flowed directly into the St. Joseph River. "This is a 20-year solution. These types of problems can't be solved in four years," said Public Works Director Gary Gilot. "This is about getting sewage out of basements,reducing combined storm-sanitary sewer overflows into the St. Joseph River and enhancing our quality of life in the process." For the Riverside/Angela project, Patrick Henthorn, assistant city engineer, served as project manager, while Toy Villa, construction manager, managed the field inspection. The Diamond Avenue trunk storm sewer is being designed by The Troyer Group with assistance for the open channel hydraulic engineering from Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd., and McCormick Engineering LLC for the river outfall and erosion protection. Lawson-Fisher Associates performed the construction inspection. Rieth-Riley Construction Co. of South Bend served as general contractor with subcontractors Kreager Brothers for the drainage features and Acorn Landscaping for landscaping features. Special Feature: ff; Mayor Luecke drove the city's new Think City car for the inaugural drive through the new roundabout. The Think City is 100% electric,uses no fossil fuels, and has zero emissions. South Bend - partnered with Think North America, Inc. the Indiana Office of Energy Development, Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition, and South Shore Clean Cities to encourage adoption of electric vehicles in Indiana. Through the partnership South Bend was able to purchase the Think Car for $1. According to Jon Burke, South Bend's Energy Director, "the city's goal is to use this vehicle in a pilot program to help implement a long-term fuel conservation strategy with the city using more energy efficient vehicles throughout its fleet. This is part of the strategic energy plan for the city." The first Think City car will be used for water meter reading and can cover 100 miles per charge per day and with nightly charging will cover 400 miles per week. The car is also equipped with a data tracking system for monitoring and analyzing electric vehicle operations—driving range, charge times, seasonal changes in operating characteristics. This information will also be shared with the Clean Cities Coalitions. According to Think North America, the Think City vehicle is powered by an advanced Lithium-ion battery and electric motor, the think Car is four times more energy efficient than a conventional vehicle and creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The body panels and interior trim components are made of 100%recyclable plastic parts. The color is molded into the body panels eliminating environmentally harmful paint emissions from the manufacturing process. Recharging the Think City only costs about 2-3 cents a mile or less than the cost of a gallon of gas to recharge it from 0-100 percent state-of-charge (see). For more information visit www.thinkev.com.