After over a year, Sam Snead stormwater work completed in El Paso

El Paso Water announced the completion of the Sam Snead Reclamation Project, a subway tunnel with the capacity to send more than 350,000 gallons per minute of stormwater to Pico Norte Pond.

The utility said the stormwater project addresses a major public safety issue in an area historically prone to flash flooding.

Many of El Paso’s streets are designed to carry storm runoff to nearby detention ponds. However, Sam Snead collects those flows from the wider surrounding area, causing the streets to flood.

“It was a sight to see a whole river form in the street because of the rains,” said resident Gilbert Calderon. “But it was dangerous if you had to walk through there.”

The Sam Snead Project required demolition and repaving of a significant portion of the street and temporary lane closures along Lee Trevino to accommodate the installation of 2,200 feet of culvert tunnel under the roadway, from North Peak Pond to Lee Trevino Drive, as well as drop inlets along the street surface.

The project began in the fall of 2019, however, the global pandemic, unforeseen soil conditions, and water and wastewater pipe breaks contributed to a year-long project delay

Storms in the summer of 2021 flooded the excavated site and further delayed the completion date. In July, the Board of Public Utilities heard concerns shared by City Representative Cassandra Hernandez, who expressed frustration on behalf of Sam Snead residents in her district.

It was until last March 11, that the intersection of Lee Trevino and Sam Snead was fully reopened. EPWater indicated that it is currently working on future improvements for that area, including the construction of a concrete channel to protect the North Peak Pond slope along Bywood and help convey stormwater to the catch basin.

Source: MEXICONOW Staff