More storm drainage improvements mean ruptured Decatur streets

Earlier this week, Decatur’s commission approved a $1.365 million budget for phase two of the downtown storm drainage improvements. The new pipeline will start at the fire station on East Trinity Place, head southeast, turn left on East Howard Avenue, then left on Barry Street, with a total length of about 1200 linear feet.

Work will probably start in May and take about one year, according to Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon. Sections of the streets involved will be torn up at various times. Saxon said the work “will disrupt traffic,” and that the city is still considering options for re-routing transportation.

Saxon calls this phase the most important part of the entire project, which began around 2008, since historically there has been extensive flooding in southeast downtown, near the fire station and on Barry and North Candler Street.