At the October 11th Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board unanimously approved amendments made to the Dogwood Ave. Flood Mitigation Project. The project will look to make roadway improvements that will raise the elevation of the roadway so that future flooding events can be mitigated.

At the meeting, Washington County Engineer Jacob Thorius talked about what purpose this amendment serves. “Instead of spending money on design, we are instead putting all the money into construction. So instead of spending approximately $50,000 on design, we are instead moving that money so we can spend it on materials. So, this is actually a benefit to us because we aren’t going to have $50,000 in design cost, so this allows us to use our money better instead of leaving some on the table.”

An engineering case study was completed to identify the 100-year flood elevation level. A hydraulic study was also completed on the nearby bridge that crosses the Skunk River to account for the bridge’s backwater. After the plan is completed, the roadway will be raised two inches higher than the original 100-year flood elevation level.  The total budget for the project is just over $300,000.