CoCS Wants Your Roads to Be Lakes

1,917 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by woodiewood
chickencoupe16
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12:43p, 7/24/24
AG
Quote:
"A lot of the roads in the city are intended to flood," Armstrong told KBTX. " The drainage system is intended that the street is a part of that system. It uses the road as a conduit to get water to creeks and streams."

Cost is the only reason I can come up with for this road design instead of using storm drains or ditches but with as much as I pay in taxes, I'm not sure I'm seeing the cost savings of a road/lazy river combo.

Quote:
"One lane of water may flood but the whole thing shouldn't just so everyone can get in and out," Armstrong said.
I'm not sure the system is working so well if only one lane is flooding (see Wellborn and 2818). Not to mention, many roads are two lanes meaning that if one is flooded, that entire direction is flooded. Not that that even matters, because Graham at Longmire floods in its entirety.

https://www.kbtx.com/2024/07/24/college-station-streets-flood-after-heavy-rain-city-says-it-is-normal/
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bobinator
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12:58p, 7/24/24
AG
FWIW I've never lived anywhere that drains as well as College Station does during/after heavy rains.
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chickencoupe16
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In reply to bobinator • 1:04p, 7/24/24
AG
bobinator said:
FWIW I've never lived anywhere that drains as well as College Station does during/after heavy rains.
I have lived two other places in my life and both were small towns. So, while they drained better than College Station does, they're not a fair comparison. I do know, however, that the problem is College Station has gotten worse. Including on brand new roads (2818 and Wellborn) that didn't have nearly this bad of a problem before they were rebuilt!
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BCSWguru
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1:52p, 7/24/24
the new roads dont drain for squat. then you add in medians. double yikes.
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AgTrip
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2:01p, 7/24/24
The new 2818 between Welborn and George Bush are terrible. Drove them while it was raining and huge pools of water sitting on the road. The drainage openings in the curbs had no water going down them and didn't even look like water was sloped towards them.

I was thinking they may come back with a layer of asphalt once they're done to bring the road level up to the curb line. That could help matters.
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legalbird
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2:58p, 7/24/24
New Wellborn expanded lanes in front of Dunkin Donuts

Ain't no way it was engineered to HOLD water. The other day it was not draining and it is dangerous.
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rptsAg03
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3:23p, 7/24/24
"...and stay home during intense storms that bring in a lot of rain."

Town is built around a university that sees students coming and going all day every day- the university did not even bat an eye when Beryl rolled through a couple weeks ago
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mwm
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In reply to bobinator • 3:52p, 7/24/24
You must never travel between the Bypass & Pebble Creek Parkway during a frog choker.
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doubledog
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4:00p, 7/24/24
A storm drain only works if someone keeps them free of debris. Take the roads at TAMU, lots of storm drains and still lots of flooding.

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VStarr2024
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9:30p, 7/24/24
This is common practice across Texas. The storm sewer conveys the minor events (2, 5, 10 yr events depending on jurisdiction) and the street conveys the 100-yr and more or if there is a blockage of an inlet. The cost to convey the 100-yr event entirely underground would make all storm sewer construction astronomically more expensive. Jurisdictional requirements are to keep at least one lane of collectors and major thoroughfares open for emergency vehicles as well as keep floodwaters from impacting buildings in bigger events. We are lucky that we have plenty of elevation and the water drains relatively quick compared to Houston. I can't speak to the issues on the TxDOT roadways mentioned above, but much of that is likely due to construction not yet fully completed.
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TyHolden
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9:50p, 7/24/24
AG
Medians have created incredible shoots for tubers. Every big rain you will see me and my family tubing down WJB like it's the Guadalupe River.
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Stucco
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In reply to legalbird • 9:55p, 7/24/24
legalbird said:
New Wellborn expanded lanes in front of Dunkin Donuts

Ain't no way it was engineered to HOLD water. The other day it was not draining and it is dangerous.
I narrowly avoided a wreck Tuesday at this exact location due to flooding.
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PS3D
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10:15p, 7/24/24
Nearly all of the flooded "new" roads are several feet below what they used to be. You can see how Saddle Lane dips down to Holleman South (it used to be even), the Wells Fargo at the corner of Longmire and Rock Prairie always had a higher elevation (now it has a retaining wall), Wellborn is flush with Rock Prairie (it used to be at the crest of a small hill and there was a slight dip toward the railroad crossing).
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woodiewood
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In reply to VStarr2024 • 4:38a, 7/25/24
VStarr2024 said:
This is common practice across Texas. The storm sewer conveys the minor events (2, 5, 10 yr events depending on jurisdiction) and the street conveys the 100-yr and more or if there is a blockage of an inlet. The cost to convey the 100-yr event entirely underground would make all storm sewer construction astronomically more expensive. Jurisdictional requirements are to keep at least one lane of collectors and major thoroughfares open for emergency vehicles as well as keep floodwaters from impacting buildings in bigger events. We are lucky that we have plenty of elevation and the water drains relatively quick compared to Houston. I can't speak to the issues on the TxDOT roadways mentioned above, but much of that is likely due to construction not yet fully completed.
Yep, you design roads and drainage for the normal rainfalls and not the gully-washers that occur maybe once or twice a year. It's too expensive and not necessary.

It would be similar to a restaurant designing the size of it dining room for the maximum possible customer number rather than slightly over the average number. Too expensive and not necessary.
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