Wilmette Westside Flood Mitigation
The Work
After years of issues, the Village of Wilmette was looking to provide flood relief to the west side of the village. Because of urban growth, the existing storm sewer pipes weren’t large enough to convey stormwater through the proper area, resulting in widespread overland flooding. They needed relief sewers to add capacity to the existing storm sewer system.
In March of 2020, the village hired Berger as the general contractor to excavate and install the new storm sewer, which would be the second largest storm trap installation in the state. Berger coordinated with ten subcontractors to complete the project.
The Challenge
We had only three months to complete the excavation—an extremely brief timeline for the volume of the job. The project was complex, as our teams needed to complete two major projects simultaneously—building the basin and re-routing the water main at the same time to redirect water flow. The two major parts of the project needed to ultimately work together and connect to successfully route the stormwater.
In addition, we needed to coordinate and communicate thoroughly with significant stakeholders, including the local school district, park district, the Village of Wilmette, and residents. We conducted regular team meetings as well as a full PR campaign to keep residents informed throughout the project and to be sure their voices were heard.
The Result
The Berger team was able to complete the project on the tight timeline, thanks to the creative use of a school parking lot that backed up to the main work area for staging. Communication with the stakeholders went smoothly, as we intentionally prioritized it throughout the project.
Ultimately, we successfully installed the second largest storm trap installation in the state. The community is thrilled with the result, as it solves the major flooding problems in the area, achieving the desired flood mitigation relief.