Owensboro’s York Ditch Stormwater Project nearing halfway point

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — In Owensboro, the York Ditch Stormwater Project is almost at the halfway point. The goal of the project is to reduce flooding at York Park and homes near Carter Road.

August will mark a year of progress for the York Ditch Stormwater Project. The project includes the construction of a stormwater basin and reconstruction of an existing paved ditch between Carter Road and Ellis Avenue.

“The basin has been completed. A couple of storm sewer segments have been reconstructed…adjacent to Carter Road. The contractor is currently working on reconstructing the pipe ditch that goes through the backyards of those homes,” says Kevin Collignon, Owensboro’s City Engineer.

Collignon says the existing paved ditch is the focus as the summer 2025 deadline creeps closer. Officials say its proven to be the most difficult part as its hard for crews to reach.

“The contractors have two crews now working on the ditch just because it’s so going so slow. They’ve got one crew starting down at the Carter Road end and they’re working east. Then, they have another crew that’s started at the York park area, which is the upstream end of that ditch,” says Collignon.

Neighbors say during bad weather the intersection at North York Street and Ellis Avenue can look like a lake. As water fills the intersection, neighbors say cars sometimes fill with water after attempting to make their way home.

Officials say the project will also make room for separate storm systems to be implemented for run-off.

Neighbors should see better road conditions during storms, and officials say there’s an environmental benefit as well.

“The combination sewer system contains both sanitary sewer and storm sewer flow. In large rain events, it overflows to the Ohio River. So, removing that storm sewer acreage from that system reduces the number of overflows,” says the city engineer.

City officials expect the York Ditch Stormwater Project to be completed by June 2025.

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