CAYCE, S.C. (WIS) - For years, residents in the City of Cayce have had to deal with flooding and storm drainage issues. Now officials say they’re one step closer to fixing the problem.
The second phase of “The Cayce Avenues Drainage Improvement Project” has started and will include 6-foot-in-diameter pipes placed underground, pushing water to the Congaree River.
Officials say the new pipes will replace existing storm drainage and alleviate standing water and flooding in some of the cities busiest roads such as Knox Abbott Drive, Indigo Avenue and Honeysuckle Street.
Lynn Summer, a lifelong Cayce resident, lives on one of the streets experiencing repair. She said she’s seen flooding in her front yard and on the roads for years, saying Cayce has always had flooding issues in certain areas.
“I don’t see anybody having a problem with what is being done because to me it’s a positive turn to take care of things people have been complaining about,” said Summer.
Officials said a 2015 drainage study showed the city needed a major upgrade to its storm water drains. That study was the kickstart to a decade-long initiative to change the current conditions in the City of Cayce.
The need was amplified that same year after the thousand-year flood swept through South Carolina, leaving many parts of the Midlands submerged under multiple feet of water.
“It is a problem, and with it standing and staying for so long because it doesn’t have anywhere to go is the issue. The thing is that even if it could go, the supply wasn’t there to get it where it needed to go. These bigger drain pipes that are coming in are definitely going to make a huge impact on that and hopefully we won’t have flooding issues anymore,” said Summer.
A few years later, in 2023, crews built a retaining wall on Axtell Road to help with water flow, which was the first phase of the project.
“It’s a massive endeavor, it’s not just a one project fix it kind of thing,” said Ali Walker the director of business development with American Engineering Consultants, the company spearheading the project.
Walker said residents will see the work in action soon. Already there is orange paint along some roads where crews will be digging, including in the right-of-way outside Summers home.
“Digging up my yard to put bigger pipes to me that a bonus that just says that’s going to take care of things. That’s a little bit of a inconvenience but its going to be a blessing in the end,” said Summer.
According to an engineer for the project, some of the pipes will go under the roads, meaning there will be repaving initatives following completion of the installation. Pipes will be installed underneath Indigo Avenue onto Honeysuckle Street near Guinard Park in Cayce. Naples Drive will also see new changes with pipes and clearing initiatives taking place soon.
“This piece right here helps lay the groundwork for other projects that will need to be done,” said Walker.
In 2023, the city received a $10 million grant from the state to help pay for the estimated $23 million project. As for the rest of the funding, a city spokesperson said they are working with state and federal partners to pay for the remaining costs.
City officials told WIS this phase of the project will take more than a year to complete. In the meantime, some roads will need to close temporarily for crews to get the work done.
Click here for the project’s website that will be updated with the latest information on the project. The website also gives residents the ability to receive alerts for the project like road closures, changes in traffic, project completion etc. You can receive those alerts via text message or email.
If you would like to speak with someone directly about the project, the website also features an information line, you can all 1-803-939-9321 to speak with someone about the work being done.
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