$5 million state grant will help fix failing culvert

Ohio BUILDS grant will fund more than half of total project cost

A critical culvert repair project already underway will get funding help from the State of Ohio as the work moves towards completion later this year.

Last week, Governor Mike DeWine’s Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) water infrastructure grant program, administered through the Ohio Department of Development, awarded a $5 million grant for for the Brookside Culvert Repair Project.

“The Sewer District is very appreciative of Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Development for providing funding for our important infrastructure work,” said our Chief Executive Officer Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells. “The Sewer District’s ability to capitalize on this funding is a reflection of our strategic analysis of our region’s sewer and stormwater needs as well as the Sewer District’s robust sewer and stormwater inspection schedule, which led to the discovery of the failing Brookside Culvert.”

About the Brookside Culvert

Brookside Culvert is bounded by Brookside Boulevard, Victory Boulevard, West Avenue, Interstate 71 and West 130 Street in the City of Cleveland. The culvert carries combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges and is part of the Regional Stormwater System. The Brookside Culvert Repair Project was the result of the Sewer District’s Cuyahoga River North Stormwater Master Plan data collection efforts.

In September 2018, inspectors found the culvert was beginning to buckle. In March 2019, the District installed temporary bracing to prevent failure of the culvert, which would have blocked Big Creek stream flows and threatened property and safety with major residential flooding and potential flooding on I-71.

Inspection of the Brookside Culvert in 2018 revealed buckling as seen in the image on the left. The image on the right shows temporary bracing we installed to prevent failure while a permanent solution could be designed. NEORSD file photos.

For a lasting remedy, the compromised sections of corrugated lining were repaired, rebar was attached for reinforcement, and then a sprayed concrete known as shotcrete is applied to create a more durable surface. This video is from May 2023.

About the Ohio BUILDS grant program

The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law March 11, 2021, and established the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund which together make up the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program. Ohio BUILDS is funded with Ohio’s share of the SLFRF and is a continuation of Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative. The Sewer District’s grant is part of the fourth round awarded through the Ohio BUILDS program which started in summer 2021 and has awarded more than $360 million to 253 critical infrastructure projects in Ohio.

“The Sewer District is always pursuing opportunities to reduce costs for our customers,” said Dreyfuss-Wells. “In addition to our other cost-saving measures, including bond refinancing and excellent project management, grants like Ohio BUILDS complement our cost-saving goals while supporting our efforts to address aging infrastructure in our community.”