Fort Worth Report
by Rachel Behrndt and Haley Samsel
Progress on the Central City / Panther Island flood control project could be stalled for months while the city struggles to reroute utilities out of the path of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ planned bypass channels.
To stay on the Corps’ schedule, Fort Worth must relocate 14 stormwater, sewer and water utilities out of the north bypass channel by summer 2024 and the south bypass channel by fall 2024. After the city finishes relocations, the Corps will begin building channels to reroute parts of the Trinity River and make Panther Island a reality.
The city has authorized contractors to begin moving two stormwater lines and one sewer line out of the north bypass channel zone, assistant city manager Dana Burghdoff told the Trinity River Vision Authority board of directors during a Dec. 13 meeting.
But the contracts to move utilities northeast of North Main Street have not proceeded as the city hoped. Construction companies say they will not be able to meet the schedule or budget laid out by the city, Burghdoff said.
“The contractors have struggled with challenges in submitting the documentation necessary to satisfy the Army Corps’ requirements for boring through the (flood) levees,” Burghdoff said. “So our staff has been meeting weekly with them and trying to bring that together.”
Which utility relocation projects will be delayed?
The following projects are facing delays:
- Grand Avenue Part 2 and 3 stormwater relocations
- Part 10 Channel Segment A water and sewer relocations
- New Main Street Outfall and 8th Street stormwater relocations
A map depicts the locations of stormwater utility relocation projects. One of eight planned projects has been completed to date.
(Courtesy image | City of Fort Worth)
Burghdoff also cited challenges working with Fort Worth & Western Railroad. City staffers need to amend a license agreement so contractors can work underneath the railroad’s right-of-way as they move utilities.
The company has canceled two meetings with city staff, and Burghdoff has struggled to reach her contact there, she said. She recently obtained the CEO’s contact information and plans to reach out to set a new meeting time.
“I apologize I’m bringing you some concerns rather than solutions,” Burghdoff said. “We’re trying to see if there’s anything we can work through that might help keep us all moving forward on schedule.”
Board President G.K. Maenius, who retired from his county administrator role but continues to serve on the board overseeing Panther Island’s progress, asked Burghdoff if the delays could slow the overall progress of the flood project.
“My sense is that we’re working hard to make it just a matter of a few months” of delays, Burghdoff said.
The Army Corps is coordinating with the city and Tarrant Regional Water District, Clay Church, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers, confirmed in a statement.
“We are working closely with the City of Fort Worth and TRWD to actively mitigate timelines that are potentially impacted by utility construction,” Church said.
Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks, Halff Associates’ Bob Riley, Tarrant Regional Water District board member James Hill and former Tarrant County Administrator G.K. Maenius listen during a Trinity River Vision Authority board meeting on Dec. 13, 2023. The board oversees Panther Island activities among different government agencies.
(Haley Samsel | Fort Worth Report)
Earlier this year, city staff expected the total price tag for utility relocations to be between $53.8 million and $60.5 million. The city is responsible for the upfront costs, but the Tarrant Regional Water District will pay the final tab for utility relocations using $250 million in flood control bonds approved by voters in 2018.
The city also was forced to seek new bids for utility relocations in the south bypass channel after S.J. Louis Construction of Texas told the city the company couldn’t meet the terms of its bid to the city. Burghdoff worries it will be difficult to find a new contractor who is able to complete the work under the city’s terms.
However, the south bypass channel issues are less concerning than the more immediate need to finish the north bypass channel relocations, Burghdoff said.
“In terms of our delay, it’s not really impacting (the Corps) schedule,” Burghdoff said of the south bypass channel project. “So there’s a delay there but it’s not impactful. It’s just emblematic of what we’re seeing.”
Rachel Behrndt is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at rachel.behrndt@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter.
Haley Samsel is the environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. You can reach them at haley.samsel@fortworthreport.org.
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