Governor Moore: $18.2M in funding for Extended North Tunnel flood mitigation work

Governor Wes Moore and the Board of Public Works this week advanced $18.2 million in funding for the Extended North Tunnel flood mitigation project in Howard County and nearly $5 million for water infrastructure projects in Calvert, Cecil, Talbot, and Kent counties.

The projects will create hundreds of construction jobs and help communities prevent disasters like the 2016 flood in Ellicott City, which cost 151 jobs and upwards of $67 million in economic losses.

“While Washington cancels grants that make communities safer and more resilient, Maryland is stepping up,” said Gov. Moore. “This funding is about fortifying our state’s water infrastructure by delivering strategic investments. And through this work, we will protect our communities and save lives.”

The funding advanced by the board includes a $17.2 million loan and $1 million grant for the construction of the mile-long tunnel, which will divert up to 26,000 gallons per second of stormwater away from historic Ellicott City. The loan is sourced from the Water Quality State Revolving Loan Fund, and follows the closure of a $23.5 million loan approved last year. 

Some of the other water infrastructure projects approved by the board this week include:

• Rock Hall Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade – Kent County: $3 million in funding, including $1.5 million in loan forgiveness, to support an upgrade of the town’s​ wastewater treatment plant. The project, with a total estimated cost of $31.4 million and more than $20 million in prior state grant support, will significantly reduce nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Chesapeake Bay,
• North East Water Quality Improvement Project – Cecil County: A $753,176 state grant to the Town of North East will help pay for the dredging of the intake pond at the Leslie Water Treatment Plant. The project has a total estimated cost of about $970,000, etc.