The Mill Creek Tunnel project is nearing completion, but voters will decide on Saturday whether to approve an additional $20 million to design future phases.
DALLAS — The giant Mill Creek Tunnel winding beneath Dallas may be the biggest project city leaders hope they never have to consider.
If all goes to plan, the drainage tunnel will help manage stormwater for a third of the city, protecting hundreds of homes and businesses currently at risk of flooding.
The tunnel runs from downtown near the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas to south of Fair Park, eventually draining into the Trinity River. The tunnel is huge, more than 30 feet high and hidden 100 feet underground, but city leaders say its impact could be even greater.
“We are seeing scenarios in these watersheds where there is widespread flooding, infiltration of homes, and loss of life,” said Dallas Water Utility Interim Director Sara Standifer. “Once the tunnel is complete, we will be able to receive all of the rainwater.”
The $300 million project is nearing completion after delays, but still has several years left.
“Right now they are finishing the concrete cover, which will keep the tunnel safe and keep it protected and functioning for hundreds of years to come,” she said.
The Mill Creek Tunnel will help alleviate flooding concerns in downtown, east and south Dallas, but broader watershed projects to help neighborhoods north of the tunnel are still pending.
Dallas voters will decide on Saturday, May 4, whether to fund the design of an additional drainage feeder pipe or tunnel that could extend further north toward Mockingbird Lane. The city's bond proposal includes $20 million for additional Mill Creek-related projects.
“We look forward to impacting the lives of our residents, improving drainage, mitigating flooding and benefiting our residents for years to come,” Mill Creek Project Manager Milton Brooks said. . “This is just the first phase of a larger system or project.”
Brooks has been working on Mill Creek since its inception nearly 20 years ago, and plans to retire once it's complete.
“It's humbling to be a part of such a large-scale project that will provide drainage and flood relief to so many people,” Brooks said. “And they'll never know. If we do it right, they'll never know.”
