Project overview:
The Addison Creek Reservoir and the Addison Creek Channel Improvements are two associated flood control projects that will work together to provide significant benefits to communities along Addison Creek, including Bellwood, Northlake, Stone Park, Melrose Park, Westchester and Broadview. The 600-acre-foot Addison Creek Reservoir will hold close to 200 million gallons of storage capacity and connect with the Addison Creek Channel.
Project description:
Construction at the reservoir, at 2795 Washington Blvd. in Bellwood, calls for a control structure, inlet structure, spillway and pumping station. In addition to providing flood control benefits, the reservoir will serve as compensatory storage for the channel improvement project. The channel improvement project will include a mix of natural design, gabion baskets, soldier pile walls, concrete, riprap, articulated concrete blocks, vegetation clearing and removal of three bridges. The estimated $63-million MWRD project is also partially funded through a $5 million grant from Cook County's Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR), a federally funded initiative through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Project impact:
The Addison Creek Reservoir along with the Addison Creek Channel Improvement project will help alleviate public health and safety concerns by reducing overbank flooding to approximately 2,200 structures along the creek from Northlake to Broadview, including 1,700 structures that will be removed from the floodplain. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the project will allow many of the flood prone residents of these six communities to qualify for flood insurance premiums which are up to 80 percent less expensive. The reservoir will provide approximately $116 million in flood benefits and create approximately 633 construction-related jobs. Flood reduction benefits will be fully achieved when both of these projects are completed. In addition to mitigating flooding, the two projects will improve quality of life further by enhancing green space, including new walking paths and other recreation improvements being coordinated with the local communities. The MWRD will operate and maintain the control and inlet structures, spillway, piping and pump station, while Bellwood will maintain the grounds including landscaping, fencing, and access roadways.
Project timeline:
Ground was officially broken on the Addison Creek Reservoir in April 2019 with anticipated completion by summer 2023. The construction for the Addison Creek Channel Improvements will begin in summer 2023, with anticipated completion by summer 2026.
