Officials Push For Funding To Fix Crushed Pipe Causing Flooding

Bristol Borough officials are working to come up with funding to fix a broken underground pipe that causes the Green Lane underpass to easily flood in heavy rain events.

The borough recently installed gates to help authorities block off the roadway when it floods under the Northeast Corridor rail bridge. The project was led by Bristol Borough and also received approval from Bristol Township officials.

Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said that “90 percent of the problem” is the crushed underground drainage pipe leading to the Delaware River.

The borough has worked with PennDOT to determine the problem and fix it over the years.

“To replace that pipe — that’s what’s causing this flooding — is about $3 million,” DiGuiseppe said.

The borough is hoping state or federal lawmakers can assist is getting money to fix the pipe.

The council is seeking $3.15 million through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.

The federal program is designed to aid municipalities financing hazard mitigation and infrastructure resilience improvements, according to FEMA.

Councilmember Greg Pezza said residents also have concerns about flooding in the Harriman section.

“The climate is changing and that we get massive, massive rainstorms like we haven’t gotten before,”Pezza said, calling for the borough to take a fresh look at the neighborhoods impacted by flooding.