Rosewood Lane and Woodard Drive Storm Sewer

To alleviate street and yard flooding in the City of Kirkwood within the Sugar Creek Watershed, the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) contracted with Oates Associates to design improvements. The project drainage area is roughly bound by Woodell Court on the north, S. Geyer Road on the East, Rose Hill Avenue on the south, and Andrews Avenue on the west. The existing drainage system consists of a storm sewer system that begins with roadway inlets on McLain Lane just north of Meramec Community College and travels north collecting additional runoff with inlets in each back lot and roadway until eventually discharging into Sugar Creek. The existing inlet and storm sewer configuration requires the water to flow overland from the east and west and concentrates near the trunk line before being collected. The limited inlets along with the concentration of flow create an unfavorable condition that has caused flooding to the yards and adjacent houses.

According to MSD records, flooding problems were first documented in 1984 with additional complaints filed in 2004, 2005, and 2008. A preliminary engineering study was completed in 2008 that recommended replacing and supplementing several sections of existing storm sewer totaling about 1,800 feet in length. Additional inlet capacity near McLain Lane was recommended as were several lateral branches to capture flow before reaching the areas experiencing flooding.

Oates Associates reviewed previous studies and reports, performed an alignment study, performed an initial assessment by conducting one-on-one resident interviews, provided detailed hydrologic and hydraulic design, and prepared the necessary plans and specifications for the proposed improvements.