The Albany Street Drainage Improvement Project received the Project of the Year award by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Georgia Chapter for its model for innovating flood mitigation and infrastructure resilience. The combination of engineering innovation, sustainable infrastructure and strategic project management have resulted in this project addressing long-standing stormwater flooding in this low-lying neighborhood and coastal community.
Prior to this project, the existing pipes were undersized, clogged and collapsing which caused street flooding that remained for multiple days after rain events. This project proved to be a high priority in the community and the city desired an effective solution. Throughout construction, the city was engaged in community outreach by allowing neighbors to engage in issues and promote community-based efforts. The city also kept residents informed throughout design and construction through online updates and the local media.
A structured approach for quality control was implemented with two to three onsite inspections per week promoting proactive issue resolutions and ensuring that the unforeseen challenges were addressed without delaying progress.
The GMC project team ensured environmental sustainability was a priority. To achieve this, our team integrated a combination of both gray and green infrastructure with a bioswale in the median along Albany Street as the green component. Green infrastructure protects natural resources and improves coastal resilience; this helps to restore the natural conditions of the site. Gray infrastructure is engineered for stormwater management, and examples include pipes, stormwater inlets and curb and gutter.
The combined gray and green infrastructure design converted the existing raised grassed median into a bioswale to enhance water quality treatment and infiltration. When a rain event occurs, the plants uptake and treat the stormwater in the engineered soil media layer. This method is effective in addressing flooding while also giving aesthetic value to the project and neighborhood through landscaping.
At the heart of it all our motto is “building communities” and this project is significant to the community’s benefit and has made an immediate impact. The community even placed a sign showing their appreciation at the corner of Albany Street and G Street where the improvements took place. The success of this project reflects not only an investment in critical infrastructure but also a commitment to the public. GMC provided survey, geotechnical, engineering design, permitting, construction administration and grant administration for this project.
“The City of Brunswick extends its gratitude to Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC), Woodard Construction Company, Inc., the project team, community partners, and the residents who supported the work throughout its development and construction. This award reflects the dedication and collaboration that drive Brunswick’s infrastructure improvements and enhance quality of life across the community.” – City of Brunswick