A large portion of a northside road that was destroyed by floodwaters last month is expected to be rebuilt by the end of the year, according to city officials.
A portion of River Road south of 96th Street was washed away Aug. 15 after historic flooding from the White River damaged hundreds of homes in the Rocky Ripple, Broad Ripple and Ravenswood neighborhoods.
Local contractor F.A. Wilhelm Construction is in the process of draining water from the site so the road can be restored, according to Sam Beres, chief financial officer for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. The work is expected to cost around $2.5 million.
Beres said he‘s optimistic that the majority of the costs incurred for the repairs will be covered under the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program.
Meanwhile, Indy DPW is working to determine the total costs of damages to the city’s infrastructure as a result of last month’s flooding. Beres said he doesn’t foresee “major impacts” on the city’s budget.
Beyond infrastructure, the department incurred about $700,000 in costs associated with labor, materials and tools in its flooding response, Beres said. The city is in communication with FEMA to see if those funds can be reimbursed with federal dollars.
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Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him by phone or Signal at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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