Birmingham working to address flood-prone areas across city

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — The city of Birmingham has begun addressing drainage issues across several areas in town, including Messer Airport Highway.

According to director of communications Rick Journey, the city has placed a pump in the as a temporary fix on the reoccurring flooding that often creates a hazard for those traveling a portion of the highway.

“The city’s capital project has worked with contractors to go in this area to take a look underground,” Journey said. “It’s not just as simple as just saying ok there’s water building up
You’ve got to go underground. You’ve got to figure out what exactly is causing all of this. So, they’ve been working through that process of investigating.”

Journey said although the pump is helpful, it’s not the solution but is apart of the beginning stages of the city’s capital project to address the drainage issues.

“On a heavy rain day where you have an intense amount of rain on a short period of time it’s not going to resolve that issue. But it will on most day’s it’s going to be able to do it,” said Journey.

Messer Airport Highway isn’t the only area the city is working to make drainage improvements to. A project that will help reduce flooding in a section of Birmingham’s Hooper City Neighborhood is set to begin in the next 60 days. Other projects will help drainage in Pine Knoll Vista, Caldwell Park, Montclair Rd. and 41st Street North.

Antoinette Stewart, a resident near 41st Street North, said the flooding in the area can often be intense.

“When it rains it just stays there for like days,” Stewart said.

Stewart said she is thankful a solution is in the works as the drainage issue has gone on for too long.

“It’s very annoying when you go down,” she said. “Like this morning, I had to go there. It was very annoying because I had to swerve out because of the water was so high.”

The city has a partnership with FEMA to help address the drainage challenges in parts of the city.

These projects will take a few years to complete.

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