Norfolk floodwall project will take more time and money than originally planned, officials say
A section of Norfolk's existing floodwall, built by the Army Corps in 1971. It will be expanded as part of the Resilient Norfolk project. (Photo by Katherine Hafner/ WHRO News)
By Katherine Hafner/WHRO
About a decade ago, Norfolk officials launched a lengthy federal process for what would become the largest infrastructure project in its history.
The $2.6 billion effort to protect the city from flooding during major storms is set to include an 8-mile seawall, home elevations, pump stations and massive surge barriers stretching across waterways.
The city now has more than another decade to go.
Norfolk officials signal changes are necessary for floodwall to move forward
Leaders from Norfolk and its federal partner, the Army Corps of Engineers, updated City Council last week on what is formally called the Coastal Storm Risk Management project.
It's part of a series of similar projects planned along the East Coast, prompted by the devastation caused during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Norfolk is the furthest along, with other floodwalls in the works in cities including Charleston and Miami. Virginia Beach and the Peninsula are also in various stages of the pre-design study process through the Army Corps.
Here are the major updates.
The current, official price tag for what city leaders call Resilient Norfolk is still $2.6 billion – 65% of which would be covered by the federal government, leaving Norfolk on the hook for about $931 million.
But officials now estimate the cost will rise beyond what Congress approved in 2020.
Mark Haviland, spokesperson with the Army Corps' Norfolk District, said in an email that 'significant analysis was conducted to document the cost drivers and brief our higher headquarters.'
The Corps declined to share that analysis before it's certified or provide a new cost estimate until the agency gets approval to finalize a related report.
But Haviland said some factors that influence cost include new survey data and hydrologic modeling that identified the need for additional pump stations, and updated designs for the wall's foundation and transitions with adjoining levees.
'Wall types were also revised to meet updated barge impact requirements and to better fit within an urban setting and avoid impacts to the foundations of existing buildings,' he wrote.
In addition, the team encountered unexpected delays with the real estate certification process, which involves getting permits and legal permission to use land and negotiating agreements with property owners.
'By addressing these details early on, we can avoid costly delays and complications during construction,' Haviland wrote.
The estimated end date for all parts of the project is 2037, five years later than the original timeline.
The first section of the seawall will be constructed from Chesterfield Heights to the Berkley Bridge, with initial site work starting this year. The first surge barrier will cross the mouth of the Lafayette River, with construction beginning around 2029.
The current path of the floodwall wraps around downtown, ending at Chesterfield Heights to the east and Lambert's Point to the west.
That leaves out five historically Black neighborhoods across the river vulnerable to flooding. A coalition of residents on the Southside strongly resisted being excluded from the wall's protection, and the city and Army Corps agreed to ask the federal government to reevaluate the path.
Two years later, the Norfolk District is still waiting for federal leaders to include such a study in their budget. Army Corps headquarters did not receive it for fiscal year 2025, meaning the earliest it could begin would be next year.
The Army Corps previously told WHRO a study could take around three years and $3 million, though the scope has not yet been developed. The re-evaluation report would also look at adding structural protection for Willoughby Spit.
Meanwhile, many residents of the historic Freemason neighborhood are fighting for the opposite.
Neighbors said they were blindsided by the floodwall plans and argue it will block waterfront views and tank property values.
Newly-approved state study aims to codify Virginia's coastal resilience funding
Project officials say they're just beginning to design the segment that includes Freemason, but will consider the community's feedback and seek federal authorization to modify the path.
Several council members reiterated concerns this week.
'This is not the first time we talked about the authorized alignment in Freemason,' said Mayor Kenny Alexander. 'For us, it's a nonstarter.'
One aspect of Resilient Norfolk is what officials call 'nonstructural measures.'
That means helping private owners protect their property by elevating homes, filling in flood-prone basements and using floodproofing techniques at commercial properties.
The city said this week that nearly 1,000 properties on Willoughby Spit and the Southside are considered 'pre-eligible' for the nonstructural program, which is voluntary.
Officials launched a new tool for people to type in their address and determine eligibility.
Congress authorized the project to include voluntary home buyouts, but the city says there are no plans to do so.
This story was originally published by the Mercury's media partner WHRO Public Media, the Hampton Roads region's largest media company.
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