A problem created by the August flood is leading the City of Bridgeport to look into hiring a consultant to address disaster recovery grants and project management.

 

The problem in question is the August 29, 2023, flooding event that saw more than 2 inches of rain come down in 20 minutes. While it caused issues throughout the city, it led to a substantial slip of a hillside between Thompson Drive and a section of the Home Depot Plaza below. The area in the plaza is behind Ollie’s Discount Outlet.

 

“We want a multi-disciplinary consultant, but our current focus is on a project needing disaster relief from the August flood,” said Bridgeport City Engineer Beth Fox, whose department is requesting services through legal advertisements. “We have in mind that we need geotechnical services on this particular project, but overall, we want to do a five-year contract with a reputable consultant.”

 

The slip from Thompson Drive down toward Ollie’s has had mitigation issues done by the city to aid in further slipping, Bridgeport Emergency Manager Director Tim Curry told Council earlier this year. He said the area in that section has a bit of a lean and described the damage as “extensive.”

 

Bridgeport officials have applied for a hazard mitigation grant from FEMA. The grant, which requires a 25 percent match from the city, would be for a total of $1.6 million to bring the hillside back to where it was prior to the slip.

 

Currey is hopeful that the recent federal government emergency declaration as a result of the flooding will cover 100 percent of the cost. The city is doing that as well and hopes to use the mitigation grant as a backup if the disaster declaration does not provide the dollars. There has been no word on the status of the FEMA grant or if the disaster declaration will pay for the fix.

 

A consultant in this matter would oversee issues relating to information gathering on a slip or other disaster-related problems, the recovery from it, and any potential grants needing written.

 

“Getting a consultant will allow us to have someone on an on-call basis,” said Fox. “They would come in line with emergency situations such as the slip. It could be a situation in the future with a bridge collapse, pipe work, a retaining wall or anything of that nature. Whoever is chosen will need to be multifaceted to where they can approach any project.”

 

Things such as core drilling, evaluating subsurface conditions, developing plans of the stabilization of earth are issues most municipal engineering departments do not have access to.

 

“Our department handles more broad, general sections as it relates to engineering,” said Fox.

 

Proposals from firms are due April 5 at 10 a.m. A city selection committee will then review qualifications and rank their preferences to make a choice. Firms seeking additional information can contact Staci Unger at 304-842-8231.

 

Editor's Note: Aerial photo above shows the slip area, while bottom photo shows the aftermath of water and mud that poured into Ollie's and other retail outlets below.