City Moving Along on Canal Street Drainage

City officials and R.J. Corman Railroad are closer to improving stormwater runoff in downtown Whiteville.

At their meeting Tuesday (June 10), Whiteville City Council will hear an update from City Manager Darren Currie on efforts to improve stormwater flow under the rail bed through downtown. In a memo to council, Currie said that city staff and the engineers for the project recently met to finalize details on the plan. Currie said they hope to be able to submit paperwork for the proper permits in the near future.

The railroad bed through downtown acts as a dam for water moving toward Soules Swamp and White Marsh. While several drain pipes are in place under the bed, none are of sufficient capacity to handle a heavy storm, leading to major flooding along Canal Street.

Several small bridges and culverts west of downtown are also blocked with debris or beaver dams, preventing free flow of water into the natural drainage areas of the swamp. That forces much of the water from the west side of Whiteville to flow through and flood downtown.

If the permits are approved, Currie said, the Canal Street project will be the next major improvement to be bid for the city. Drainage work is expected to begin in the spring on continued improvements along Franklin and Lee streets, prior to resurfacing by the Department of Transportation.