CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Heavy rain often floods part of Otterdale Road in Chesterfield County.
The flooded road is not just an inconvenience for neighbors in Summerlake. but also a danger.
"What we have seen over the last five years and even during the less intense events, we have seen an erosion of the adjacent drainage areas and some flooding of those crossings, so it's becoming an increased safety concern," Brent Epps, Chesterfield County Director of Transportation. said.
Epps said a $25 million improvement project will address the Otterdale Road flooding issue.
The plan calls for three bridges that cross Horsemen, Otterdale Branch, and Blackman creeks to be replaced in that three-mile corridor between Genito and Woolridge roads.
"The project is intended to improve the crossings. The roadway will be raised at each location approximately eight feet and we will be building bridge structures at each crossing," Epps said. "We often say in the road business that we have some short-term pain for some long-term gain. Certainly, this will be one of those issues where we don't think we could build the bridges any other way."
Construction is set to begin in January 2022.
Neighbors interested in learning more about the project can attend a virtual meeting on May 20. There is a second meeting on May 25.
