Denver Constructs Storm Water Drainage Project

Denver Public Works has made progress on the Platte to Park Hill drainage project, scheduled to be operational by June 2018. The project, part of the larger Globeville Landing Outfall Project, involves using a 15-by-12 ft and 500-yard long concrete box culvert to divert storm water from historic north Denver neighborhoods downhill and towards the South Platte River. Not only will the project divert storm water and protect historic north Denver neighborhoods from flooding, but it will also filter the storm water before returning it to the South Platte River.

The culvert, still currently under construction, will be fed by an open channel along East 39th Avenue as well as pipes under Brighton Boulevard. It will then drop into a bay and distribute into three smaller culverts that will divert the water under the Denver Coliseum parking lot. Finally, the water will emerge into a natural-filtration channel in a public park created for the project and scheduled to be completed by Spring 2019. After filtration, the storm water will flow into the South Platte River.

“This is probably the biggest project we’ve ever done. We’re kind of recreating what should be a natural gulch, with limited space,” said Bruce Uhernik, storm water planner for Denver Public Works.

The project has been a controversial topic, according to The Denver Post, with an estimated price tag of $298 million making it one of the largest storm water projects in Denver to date. The construction has faced obstacles when digging into contaminated soils. Additionally, the City Park and Park Hill golf courses have been forced to close for periods of time while the project creates storm water detention areas.