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City crews clearing drainage ditch along Territorial Drive

Dec 11, 2017 | 11:00 AM

Motorists travelling on Territorial Dr. over the next few weeks will notice a lot of activity as city crews begin clearing the drainage ditch from West Railway Ave. to Killdeer Dr.

The work began this morning and will continue from Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the end of December. According to Dan Loewen, director of infrastructure, the project is necessary even if it means a partial street closure.

“Over time, drainage ditches fill with silt and sand and diminish the water capacity of the ditch,” Loewen said. “The problem is then that water is not flowing, but rather standing in the ditch, creating backpressure on our storm sewer system.”

City crews are digging out the soil, removing cattails and planting grass seeds to stabilize the soil. When spring arrives the water will flow again. The ditch in Parson’s Industrial Park will be the fourth cleaning project the city has planned, however a start date has not been determined.