Part of Pendleton Drive to close Sept. 10 – Oct. 15
Pendleton Drive will be closed at the intersection of FM 158/Boonville Road to Beacon Heights for road repairs from Sept. 10 to Oct. 15.
Several roadways in Bryan are now safer for motorists during heavy rainfall with the flood early warning system installment, thanks to a grant received from the state Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF).
FIF was approved by Texas voters in 2019 and is administered by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), the Texas Department of Emergency Management, and the Texas General Land Office. The city received a $180,000 grant to help fund a $450,000 project to install a flood early warning system. This system employs a suite of high floodwater alert sensors for 20 flood-prone roadways in the community.
The flood early warning system alerts emergency response crews and city staff to coordinate preemptive roadway closures. It also warns drivers to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” with automated flashing beacons. Long-term plans include sending out closure notifications by text/email subscriptions.
City staff utilized historical road closure data to pinpoint locations for implementing the system. These locations ranged from heavily traveled roadways to residential streets that experience flooding during moderate to heavy rains.
Locations:
In addition to enhancing safety, the sensors collect rainfall data that will be used to help guide decisions about stormwater-related capital improvement projects and assess how development impacts stormwater flow downstream.
We encourage individuals to continue to exercise good judgment when driving in heavy rain. It is never safe to drive or walk into floodwaters, and one should never drive around barricades blocking a flooded roadway.