Construction of the Newport/Chestnut drainage project is about to begin

After hundreds of hours of Julie Winters' hard work, the dedicated efforts of Kirk Mantay--our South River Federation project manager -- and much coordination with proximal neighbors, start-up of work on the Chestnut and Newport Avenues Drainage Project will begin in the next week or so. This means construction activities will begin!  

We expect the construction of the new bio-retention cells along Newport and Chestnut Avenues, and of the living shoreline and wetland at the end of Chestnut, to take about five weeks. Construction is weather dependent, so a good weather window will help keep the construction on schedule.

Primarily centered at the playground area along Newport between Myrtle and Chestnut, these small, well-engineered rain-garden-like structures will both alleviate the chronic drainage problems in over half of Arundel on the Bay peninsula and also help keep the polluting effects of stormwater runoff out of our Bay.

So when you see the equipment arrive and the barrier tapes go up, and have to explain to the kids why they can't use the equipment for a while, just tell them we're making things better and healthier for everyone and that we'll need their cooperation (and your help) to make this a success. Kids are smart; they'll understand!