The Ripple Effect: Making Progress on the Flood Protection Program

The Flood Protection Bond Referendum Oversight Board presented its 2022-2023 Annual Report to Virginia Beach City Council this month, detailing progress on the Flood Protection Program. The report included an overview of project accomplishments to date, goals for the upcoming year, and recommendations for reporting on overall program costs and project schedules.

The Oversight Board set goals for the upcoming year to complete its Master Project Briefings with Central Resort District and Southern Rivers. It also plans to participate in project site visits and continue quarterly presentations to the City Council. In addition, they seek to increase public awareness of the Bond Referendum projects.

Program Activities

The Flood Protection Program saw robust activity since the last quarterly update in June. Accomplishments included:

4 Project Design Milestones

• 30% Design Completion: Poinciana Pump Station ESD Roadway Drainage Phase 1F & 1G
• 60% Design Completion: Sandbridge New Bridge Intersection
• 90% Design Completion: Elizabeth River Floodplain Restoration
• 100% Design Completion: Seatack Drainage

2 Construction Starts

• Old Forge Road & Red Lion Drainage Improvements
• Bow Creek Stormwater Park (Section 1)

2 Construction Finishes

• Cape Henry Canal Gravity Sewer Relocation
• Lake Pleasure House Outfall

2 Procurements

• Design-Build team selection for the Windsor Woods/ Princess Anne Plaza/The Lakes Drainage Improvements project
• Owner’s Representative Service for the West Neck Creek Bridge project

Program Benchmarking Approach

In working to improve its approach to reporting program estimates and schedules to City Council, Jacobs Engineering, with the support of the Oversight Board, proposed an industry-standard approach that provides greater transparency. The new approach offers a more objective way to track changes in project costs and schedules that includes planning estimates, baseline estimates at 30% design completion, and reporting on cost and schedule variances to the baseline estimate.

The Virginia Beach Flood Protection Program—The Ripple Effect—is a comprehensive 10-year plan to address recurrent flooding in Virginia Beach. In November 2021, Virginia Beach voters overwhelmingly supported a resiliency package for several key flood protection initiatives to include drainage improvements, tide gates, pump stations and flood barriers throughout the city. The projects are led by Public Works with support from a community oversight board for transparency and accountability. Learn more at virginiabeach.gov/RippleEffect.