NORFOLK, Va. - A fishing pier that is being built is just one of the many developments coming to the Chesterfield Heights area as part of the $112 million Ohio Creek Project.
Senator Tim Kaine was in Norfolk Wednesday getting an update on the project -- which is on track to be completed by the end of this year.
Currently, only two roads allow access to the community, one of which is undrivable during regular nuisance flooding.
The Ohio Creek Project plans to alleviate this with layers of defense such as wetlands, berms, new drainage networks, raised roads, and a new pump station which just finished construction last week.
"Historic neighborhoods shouldn't just be allowed stop disappear they really mean something to people but if we don't in Norfolk, and more broadly in Hampton Roads, if we don't make these investments right then we knock a pillar of the second-largest economy in the commonwealth so that's why we need to make these investments," Kaine said.
According to the city, the Ohio Creek Project is preparing them for the much larger Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management project.
This is a nearly $1.5 billion project including the extension of the downtown Norfolk flood wall and Levees implemented along Town Point Park.
The larger project is being done in conjunction with the US Army Corp of engineers to combat rising sea levels, with completion set for late 2026.
The HUD funding for the Ohio Creek Project also allows for some amenities to be put in.
In addition to the fishing pier, this area will also get a new park with basketball courts and a playground, and a dedicated bike and pedestrian road.
For more information on the project, click here.
