Houston-area officials tasked with minimizing impacts of floods are eyeing a plan to build eight large-diameter stormwater tunnels at an estimated cost of $30 billion.

The Harris County Flood Control District recently completed itsPhase 2 study在可能的隧道项目上。18luck官网该地区运营助理主任斯科特·埃尔默（Scott Elmer）说，它确定了在该县23个流域中有11个拟议的隧道的潜在对准。初步计划要求总共约132英里的隧道直径为30英尺至40英尺，地下约120英尺。

The study estimates the tunnels could provide an additional 76,000 cu feet per second of stormwater conveyance, eliminating between 80,000 and 120,000 cumulative instances of flooding over the tunnels’ 100-year life and during storms up to a 100-year event.

"The tunnel alternatives selected for concept refinement appear to provide a more favorable solution when compared to traditional solutions that deliver a similar level of service in terms of flood reduction benefits," states the study report, prepared by Black & Veatch. "It is anticipated that tunnel projects could be implemented within a much shorter timeframe and construction would involve reduced impacts to the community and environment when compared to traditional solutions."

包括休斯顿在内的哈里斯县（Harris County）在很大程度上是低矮的和平坦的，景观缓慢。2008年艾克飓风和2017年哈维飓风造成的风暴造成了严重破坏，2018年，当地选民通过了25亿美元的债券计划to fund flood risk reduction projects. The flood control district is using the money to fund hundreds of projects, including the studies for the proposed tunnels.

埃尔默说，初步计划最大程度地利用了公共通行权。所有八个拟议的隧道比对主要均在现有的洪水控制区渠道下，尽管隧道需要更宽的旋转半径。尽管需要一些地下地役权和土地获取，但隧道计划的整体地表土地比使用传统的洪水控制方法所需的土地要少得多。埃尔默说，隧道计划要求约35英亩，而频道和保留盆地等方法将需要约3,145英亩的土地才能达到相同的影响。

埃尔默说：“这是一个很大的差异，对社区凝聚力以及维护当今存在的社区有很大的影响。”

Following the Phase 1 study, which examined whether it would be possible to build large-diameter stormwater tunnels in Harris County, the $2.5-million Phase 2 study, with lead consultant Black & Veatch, used a rain-on-grid model. The team then calibrated that model against instances of reported flooding, including federal claims, damage reported by owners and the flood control district’s own post-storm assessments. They then used the results to identify “flood damage centers,” which Elmer says are the areas of concentrated repetitive flooding. To get the most benefit of the proposed tunnels, they selected alignments that would intersect those flood damage centers. They also looked at the physical characteristics of the watersheds, to determine where tunnels could convey water just by gravity.

洪水控制区与6月16日公众分享了第二阶段研究的结果，目前正处于90天的公众意见期。新利luck埃尔默（Elmer）表示，他们将花费今年余下的时间来进行第三阶段研究。新利luck他说，除了收取公共反馈外，洪水控制区还将与休斯敦港口，以确保隧道不会对隧道产生不利影响Houston Ship Channelor port facilities. Environmental work is needed, and the next study will need to be federally compliant with the aim that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can participate in the project.

埃尔默说，洪水控制区可能会为今年年底或明年年初发布3阶段顾问的RFQ。该地区有2000万美元用于研究，他们预计这将花费大约三年。新利luck他们将寻找一家可以协助工程，推进设计的公司，并通过展示经济利益来帮助建立“业务案例”以资助隧道。

凭借该项目的估计成本和工作范围，官员们说，洪水控制区可能需要州和联邦资金来建立。

“尽管隧道系统的成本很大，并18luck.cub且不能保证为该规模的项目找到合作伙伴关系资金，但我们很高兴探索隧道作为降低哈里斯县洪水风险的额外工具，”洪水控制区高管蒂娜·彼得森（Tina Petersen）董事在一份声明中说。