A city in southeastern New Mexico is receiving up to $1.7 million in state funding for a comprehensive flood mitigation project.
Roswell has been repeatedly subject to torrential floods, with its drainage infrastructure often overwhelmed.
Last month up to 3.8 inches of rain fell on the city, leading to the collapse of a culvert over the Berrendo Creek. Water lines underneath the culvert were also damaged.
Rains additionally caused the flooding of up to twelve homes in the city’s Holly Loop Subdivision.
Now funding through New Mexico’s State Road Fund will be used to repair the bridge, while also targeting additional mitigation strategies. The funding is being administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
In announcing the funding, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said repairing the culvert would cost around $500,000. “But for $1.7 million, we can do the flood mitigation,” she remarked, adding that the focus would be on preventive infrastructure projects throughout the city.
“Let’s make sure we are solving these problems, not just for today, but for the long haul,” the Governor was quoted as saying by the Roswell Daily Record upon the announcement of the funding.
Design work on the culvert project is already underway, with the actual work expected to begin in a matter of weeks.
The State Road Fund is generally used for highway maintenance and paid for by revenue generated by diesel and gasoline taxes, as well as vehicle registration fees, among other sources.
By Garry Boulard
