The City of Irving has successfully secured $45 million in financial assistance from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for the West Irving Creek Channel Project. The funding package includes $38.7 million in zero-interest financing and a $6.3 million grant from the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund.
This achievement comes after a two-year journey that began in 2020 when Irving initially submitted an application to the TWDB. At that time, the city was ranked 272 out of 285 projects, indicating low chances for funding consideration. However, in 2022, after TWDB extended invitations to other Texas cities to reapply, Irving received a second opportunity to seek assistance.
The City of Irving's response to the invitation was a collaborative effort that involved various departments working together under tight deadlines. The application was successfully submitted in November 2022.
Originally estimated to cost over $90 million, the West Irving Creek Channel Project's first two phases were included in the five-year, $100 million Drainage Solutions for a Better Tomorrow initiative by the Municipal Drainage Utility (MDU). As of now, MDU is in the fourth year of the initiative and has issued $60 million in Certificates of Obligation debt.
The TWDB's $45 million financial assistance award eliminates the need for the city to issue bonds for the remaining $40 million, as it includes $38.7 million in interest-free TWDB bonds. This financial maneuver is expected to result in significant savings for the city, with city staff estimating a $23.6 million reduction in interest payments due to the current interest rate of 3.825%. When factoring in the $6.3 million grant, the overall savings for the City of Irving amounts to nearly $30 million.
What is West Irving Creek?
- Drains 15%+ of the City south of SH-183, over 3 square miles
- Runs for 3+ miles from Wyche Park at Pioneer Road to outfall south of Oakdale Road
- Constructed in the 1960s
- Update needed because it is inadequate to meet current standards for 100-year flood capacity
Project Benefits
- Capacity
- Improvements similar to recently completed Delaware Creek
- Provide 100-Year Capacity
- Increase Detention at Wyche Park
- Reconstruct Channel with Vertical Walls
- Increase Capacity with Minimal Footprint
- Replace or Add Fencing
- Improve Aesthetics
- Channel Bridges
- 5 Bridge Replacements
- Replace Small Culverts with Large Single Span
- Improve Aesthetics
- Evaluate Traffic Impacts
- Water & Wastewater
- Replacing 3400' Wastewater Main Beneath/Parallel to Channel
- Adjusting 5 Water Line Locations
- Adjustments to be made before channel work
- Minimize service disruption
- Provide capacity for future needs
- Other water, wastewater, and paving work between Conflans and Yorkshire recently completed
- Wyche Park
- Deepen park by approx. 8 feet
- Permanent pond to provide water quality
- Provide forebay and trash collection
- Natural edge to provide wetland habitat
