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JULY 29, 2024

The City of Merritt Celebrates
Two Flood Mitigation Milestones

Middleboro Bridge Span flies in on schedule and on budget
and Dike System kicks off beside City Public Works Yard

The City of Merritt is celebrating two major flood mitigation project milestones this week: (1) the symbolic reconnection of both banks of the Coldwater River, as steel girders are aerially installed via crane on the Middlesboro Bridge replacement project; and (2) the groundbreaking of a new major dike installation along the City of Merritt’s Public Works yard.

These projects spawn from the destruction caused by the November 2021 atmospheric river, causing the Coldwater River water levels to rise 2.5 times higher than previously established flood levels, destroying flood warning systems, overcoming the existing dike infrastructure, flooding much of the city, and causing the evacuation of the entire community.

“On behalf of the Merritt Flood Mitigation team, we are extremely happy to start to see the results of a significant amount of work. As a small community, Merritt does not have the tax base to complete these projects, so there has been significant work with the provincial government to attract funding and get these projects approved.  We are thankful for our provincial partners who have worked with us to fund these two large projects and the staffing resources required to get them built,” says Sean Strang, CPA, CMA, Director, Flood Mitigation and Recovery, City of Merritt.

The first major milestone the city will see this week involves the replacement of the Middlesboro Bridge, as both banks of the Coldwater River at Voght Street will begin to reconnect for the first time since the 2021 flood. This is a symbolic and emotional milestone as cranes install the first steel girders of the new Middlesboro Bridge, reestablishing this crucial connection between the neighbourhood of Collettville with the rest of Merritt.  It’s an important milestone as “progress on this bridge is mending a scar that’s a reminder of the flood damage that was done” Mike Goetz, City of Merritt Mayor.

Thanks to $9,600,000 in funding from the BC Ministry of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness, complemented with additional funding from Discovery Financial Assistance (DFA), the Middlesboro Bridge replacement project is set to be completed fall 2024. The new bridge is designed to current one-in-200-year flood standards and will include a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist lane with two traffic lanes. The project also includes a comprehensive drainage system, gravel placement, roadway paving, and embankment filling to strengthen and stabilize the area. Strategic riprap placement will be implemented to protect the structural integrity of the bridge against future flooding events.

The second major milestone is the Public Works Protection Dike. Thanks to $2 million in funding from the Province of BC’s Ministry of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness, the public works facility will see protected dike work to new 1-in-200-year flood standards. The project is expected to be completed by October 2024 and is backed by $2 million from the BC Ministry of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness, which was announced in February 2023. However, the remainder of the work required to protect the community, as laid out in the Flood Mitigation Plan “is an ever-moving target and is funding dependent,” says Diana Gilbert, Community Engagement lead for the City of Merritt Flood Mitigation team.

Aside from the Public Works Protection Dike and the Middlesboro Bridge Replacement the majority of flood mitigation work to date is temporary spot repairs to the city’s existing dikes and bridges to stabilize the city flood defenses in the short term. “However, this is a short-term solution,” cautions Gilbert. “If a similar atmospheric event happened today the impact would mirror the impacts it had in November of 2021. The overall city and community are not yet safeguarded to the point that they need to be, which is why we, the Flood Mitigation Department, are so driven and passionate to find the support to drive the Flood Mitigation Plan and all of its components forward.”

These projects are identified in the Flood Mitigation Plan, which guides the activities of the department. “The Flood Mitigation Plan was created to meet the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund as a requirement to apply for Federal funding for communities impacted by the atmospheric event. However, that funding has not come to fruition,” says Gilbert. View the flood mitigation plan at merritt.ca/flood-mitigation.

For more information on the 2021 flood event, visit merritt.ca/flood.

INVITATION TO MEDIA

Media Event: Major Milestones on Flood Mitigation Plan
Monday, July 29, 2024   |   2:30PM

The City of Merritt is celebrating two major flood mitigation project milestones this week: (1) the symbolic reconnection of both banks of the Coldwater River, as steel girders are aerially installed via crane on the Middlesboro Bridge replacement project; and (2) the groundbreaking of a new major dike installation along the City of Merritt’s Public Works yard.

This event also marks the chance to “show case the hard work of everyone that has been involved to make these milestones happen, including past and current mayor and council as well as contractors, Merritt staff that worked above and beyond to put protection measures in place for our town,” says Diana Gilbert, Community Engagement lead for the City of Merritt Flood Mitigation team.

This media event includes site tour and interview opportunity for media.  Please RSVP: diana.gilbert@merritt.ca.

WHEN:               Monday, July 29th, 2024    |    ETA: 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM (weather permitting)

WHERE:            Merritt, BC

EVENT DETAILS:

    • 2:30 pm Arrive at the first location. Parking lot at the Coldwater River Trail, north of the Middlesboro bridge, across from the Claybanks RV Park: 1302 Voght Street.
    • 2:40 pm Sign in and put on your own PPE, including steel-toed boots, hardhat, high-vis vest, and safety glasses. Please note that those individuals without proper PPE will not be able to enter the worksites.
    • 2:45 pm Statement from Mayor and other delegates followed by Interview Questions.
    • 3:30 – 4:00 pm Arrive at the Second Location. Park along the wide shoulder next to the City of Merritt Public Works Yard: 1298 Coldwater Avenue. Please wait for City or Project staff to accompany you to the project trailer for the site tour and information session.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kim Mullin
Communications and Engagement Manager
CITY OF MERRITT
Direct: 250.280.6568
Main: 250.378.4224, x232
Email: kim.mullin@merritt.ca

Diana Gilbert
Community Engagement, Flood Mitigation
CITY OF MERRITT
Direct: 604.860.8604
Email: diana.gilbert@merritt.ca

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