Boat weather on Main

By D.E. Smoot
Phoenix Staff Writer

May 07, 2008 11:10 pm

— Gentle thunderstorms such as those that blanketed the Muskogee area Wednesday don’t generally cause problems for motorists or businesses located along North Main Street.
But when those thunderheads burst into downpours, it can be a different story, said Jim Dum, who has managed Wall’s Department Store for the past six years. Dum said he has seen trash cans wash down the Business Route of U.S. 62 during a recent gully-washer.
Dum said at other times he has seen stormwater pool across half the parking lot outside the front of his store. In back of the store, water has crept up even closer to the business’ back entrance.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation officials said planned surface repairs along the stretch of Main between Martin Luther King Street and Shawnee Bypass were postponed because of a funding shortfall.
ODOT spokesman David Meuser said that work, which is considered a high-priority project, will be considered again next year. It was unclear whether North Main Street drainage issues will be addressed at that time.
“That probably would have to be included in a more long-term planning and design project,” Meuser said.
Cliff Mensch, who works at AutoZone at 1900 N. Main St., said stormwater often collects on the roadway in front the automotive parts store. But with three entrances to retailer’s parking lot, customers usually can find a way in and out without any problems.
“It’s the entrance in the middle that usually catches all the rain,” Mensch said. “That one is usually used by customers who are pulling out.”
While the drainage problem along North Main Street waxes and wanes, some say it is indicative of a larger problem that needs to be addressed along the stretch of road that connects downtown Muskogee to the city’s northernmost business district.
Dum said problems with pooling stormwater in front of Wall’s are a fairly recent phenomena. During the past six years, he has witnessed two high-water events that caused problems for his customers.
“We had one customer who tried to leave and ran into a ditch that was inundated by stormwater,” Dum said about one of those storms.
Muskogee Public Works Director Mike Stewart said some of the drainage problems along North Main Street can be traced back to business development that occurred years ago.
“Some of those driveways were put in wrong, and with additional development and concrete the problem has gotten worse over the years,” Stewart said. “When those (stormwater drainage systems) are open they can handle about 90 percent of the rain that falls during a heavy downpour. We try to check on those after every storm to make sure they remain clear.”
Meuser said drainage along highways maintained by ODOT in urban areas is a shared responsibility between the state transportation agency and the municipality through which the highway crosses.
Urban development, sometimes can render highway designs obsolete.
“If we were to design a new highway today, we would look at ways to address those drainage issues,” Meuser said.
Reach D.E. Smoot at 684-2903 or dsmoot@muskogeephoenix.com.

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