LITTLE ROCK – City of Little Rock leaders gathered this morning to break ground on a $2.05 million drainage repair and improvement project at Swaggerty Branch Creek, located in the South End neighborhood of Ward 1.

The project, funded by a combination of American Rescue Plan Act funds and proceeds from the capital improvement portion of the 2012 LR Cent sales tax revenues, will involve replacement of underground tunnels and other drainage infrastructure that serve Swaggerty Branch Creek.

“We’re excited to bring this improvement to the South End neighborhood, addressing an item on their neighborhood action plan and making a much-needed and long-awaited improvement,” said Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “Targeted community developments like this invest in our communities and feed growth of property values and economic development, lifting our entire City.”

The project includes work sites throughout the South End neighborhood replacing underground tunnels and other portions of old drainage infrastructure, weaknesses of which have caused drainage issues along the mostly subterranean Swaggerty Branch Creek.

“We are pleased to be getting underway to help improve drainage for this area, drawing from a variety of different funding sources,” said Jon Honeywell, director of the Little Rock Department of Public Works. “Drainage is a common infrastructure need throughout the city, correcting issues not addressed in the past and improving areas to modern code and standards. It’s a part of the city budget that doesn’t always grab headlines but nevertheless requires constant dedication of city resources.”

Honeywell noted that $40.5 million dollars of a proposed bond issue, one of six projects currently submitted to early voting, is devoted to further drainage improvements throughout the city, along with another $40.5 million in street improvements. The special election for that bond issue is Aug. 9.

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