Riverside Road, especially at the Orchard Street area, has a significant amount of large sized utilities within the roadway that are integrated with the City’s nearly 90-year-old Flood Protection System that runs along the entire length of the roadway. The Flood Protection System is owned and maintained by the City of Springfield, but is regulatory overseen by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE).
Mayor Sarno states, “I am proud of my administration’s efforts to continue to invest into our infrastructure, especially at key and vital locations such as Riverside Road in our North End neighborhood which is located along the Flood Protection System. This $177,000 geotechnical engineering study will provide DPW, the Water and Sewer Commission and the Army Corps of Engineers with the information needed to better understand the conditions of our utilities under the surface so we can develop a comprehensive engineering plan to maintain and enhance this vital and core infrastructure system.”
Ward 1 Councilor Maria Perez stated, “I want to thank Mayor Sarno, DPW Director Chris Cignoli and the administration for listening to my concerns for my ward, neighborhood and residents. Riverside Road is a major corridor in our North End and is an important part of our Flood Protection System and utilities, so its upkeep and maintenance are of the utmost importance. I am thrilled that this study is underway and look forward to working with all of the parties involved to advance this vital and important infrastructure project in our North End neighborhood.”
The integration of the system will require a significant amount of sub-surface investigation to ensure that utilities are functioning properly as well as to ensure that the flood control structures remain structurally sound.
DPW Director Christopher Cignoli stated, “the DPW performs inspections 3-4 times per year on the entire flood control system and reports are submitted to the USACOE. During the 2022 and 2023 inspections that are performed separately by the USACOE, it has been directed that a greater level of investigation is warranted in this particular area.”
“The North End of the City, especially in the immediate area of the Flood wall, experience extreme fluctuating levels of groundwater that begin to play havoc with soils especially around the large utilities such as drainage and sewer systems. Standard roadway patching and/or utility repairs have not eliminated the ongoing issues, so a more detailed sub-surface examination is warranted”, Cignoli added.
The $177,000 geotechnical engineering study is currently underway and is anticipated to be completed in early 2024.
The city has retained GZA Geotechnical Engineers who will be performing interior inspections of all utilities and will analysis the soils in and around the utilities as well as the flood wall, in an effort to determine a more targeted repair/replacement program for the area.
The DPW has a plan to upgrade the roadway system, however, a solution to this area must be completed prior to any future upgrade activities.