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 its Phase 2 study on possible tunnel projects. It identified potential alignments for the eight proposed tunnels with the greatest impact in 11 of the county’s 23 watersheds, says Scott Elmer, assistant director of operations for the district. The preliminary plan calls for a total of about 132 miles of tunnels ranging from 30 feet to 40 feet in diameter and about 120 feet underground.