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$21M coming for flood protection projects in Westchester localities along Blind Brook
Some $21 million will go to flood protection in Westchester localities along Blind Brook, by replacing two undersized bridges and doing other work to guard against extreme weather's effects, Governor Kathy Hochul said Wednesday, June 25.
The county will enlarge the Playland Parkway and Oakland Avenue bridges' spans to address problems anticipated from climate change, the governor's office said in a news release. The bridges are expected to allow better flow during heavy rains and alleviate flooding upstream.
'Providing funding and resources to help local governments get shovels in the ground for these projects is a top priority, and we'll continue working together to modernize our infrastructure and provide common sense solutions that best position our communities for the future," Hochul said.
The money — part of 2022's $4.2 billion Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act — will support replacing the two county-owned bridges that cross Rye's Blind Brook.
The county will also "daylight" — uncover — a channeled part of East Blind Brook in Rye Brook. The project includes creating a properly sized, multistage channel.
"This is great news for Westchester County as we all work to plan for future extreme weather events driven by climate change," U.S. Rep. George Latimer, a Westchester Democrat and former county executive, said in the release. "It is critical that we invest in aging infrastructure to meet the current challenges due to rain events and flooding, and plan for future risks."
Good to know: Are you ready for a flood? What to know, how to prep for flooding in Lower Hudson Valley
Meanwhile, according to the release, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is studying flood-prone Westchester areas at no cost to villages, towns and cities.
In addition to Blind Brook, studies of the Bronx and Hutchinson rivers, Mamaroneck and Sheldrake rivers, and Beaver Swamp and Grassy Sprain rivers, have been finished.
The release said the DEC is also working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Mamaroneck and other partners in neighboring localities along Long Island Sound to carry out similar projects that aim to protect infrastructure from floods.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester areas to get $21M flood protection funding boost from NY
