$3.7M in fed funding to remedy flood problems at Rte. 20/122 interchange in Worcester

BOSTON — The Healey/Driscoll administration strategy to aggressively pursue federal money for infrastructure construction projects appears to be working. State officials just announced the receipt of $3.7 million from Washington to alleviate flooding where routes 20 and 122 interchange at Grafton Street in Worcester County.

“This award is a game changer for Worcester and Shrewsbury,” said Gov. Maura Healey in a prepared statement. “We need to act now on critical transportation infrastructure projects like this, which will provide urgently needed relief for communities impacted by flooding and strengthen resilience.”

The issue at the Route 20/Grafton Street interchange is the pooling of water in the Route 20 underpass, sometimes several feet deep depending on the intensity and duration of a rainstorm. Cars stall out in the puddles, endangering motorists and blocking traffic. On Aug. 19, 2021, and again on July 16 last year, motorists and passengers in vehicles that had stalled out in the floodwaters had to be rescued by first responders.

While there is a history of flooding at the interchange, a 2018 state transportation study indicated that intense real estate development in the area around the underpass over decades has exacerbated the problem. What was an infrequent yet bothersome occurrence now plagues motorists more than a half-dozen times a year. And unless it is addressed, it will only get worse.

Was flooding at interchange always a problem?

The drainage infrastructure was first built in the 1930s, according to the state. Development, with affiliated increases in impervious surfaces, has exacerbated drainage issues. Structures, homes, businesses, parking lots, sidewalks and all hard or impervious surfaces prevent water from seeping into the ground around the underpass. Less absorption means more pooling, puddling and flooding on the hard surfaces.

A review by the state Department of Transportation determined that the drainage infrastructure needed upgrades. It had already scheduled the work to begin in the summer of 2025 at a cost of $5.5 million.

The state plan is to improve what’s already in place and to install a dedicated trunk line and numerous new drainage inlets. The DOT expects the new inlets will increase drainage in low-lying areas during storms, reducing the frequency and duration of floods. The state will also build a stilling basin, a catch basin that absorbs or dissipates water energy while it also reduces erosion.

Flood water will be directed to Flint Pond, located at the southern end of Lake Quinsigamond that borders Worcester and Shrewsbury, according to the state plans, which also include environmental protections to prevent pollution of the pond. Equipment will capture and environmentally treat any solids in the floodwater at the point where it flows into the pond.

The state expects the project will provide critical relief for areas of Worcester and Shrewsbury that have long been impacted by severe flooding.

“These funds will bring great relief to the Grafton Street/Route 20 area under the Route 122 overpass which is prone to flooding during storms and poor drainage, impacting residents’ travel,” said Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista. “Thank you to our federal and state partners for bringing this project forward and investing in climate resilient infrastructure that will benefit residents for years to come.”

With the federal grant coming in at $3.7 million, a good portion of the work will be funded.

"Shrewsbury's newly adopted Climate Action and Resiliency Plan notes the need to prepare for the current and coming impacts of climate change including flooding, which happens often along this section of Route 20,” said Shrewsbury Select Board Chair Beth Casavant. “With increased commercial and residential development, this funding will make our community safer by modernizing aging infrastructure to meet the challenges of today's climate. State and local partnerships like this lead to better outcomes for all."

The grant was awarded under the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Grant Program, as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and represents 80% of the total project’s costs.

“This award is an important result of our whole-of-government strategy to maximize the federal funding available to Massachusetts and put federal dollars to work in our communities, improving infrastructure, increasing climate resiliency, and creating good paying jobs and equitable economic growth,” said Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey.

The administration has already secured almost $3 billion in federal dollars from the BIL, as well as other funding initiatives launched by the Biden White House. The Healey/Driscoll team also secured $350 million in federal transportation dollars to help fund the replacement of two bridges in Cape Cod. There are outstanding applications totaling $2 billion still pending before federal agencies submitted for projects statewide.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Flooding headaches to get $3.7 million federal relief package