The Extended North Tunnel project in the Ellicott City Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan is moving forward on schedule, but County Executive Calvin Ball said Monday that the county is aware future funding could be in jeopardy due to limitations in the state budget and what he called “changes in federal leadership.”

Standing in front of a rocky landscape dotted with cranes and a shaft dug into the ground surrounded by muddy water, Ball announced that the tunnel project is set to be complete in 2027; blasting to make way for equipment began in December. The tunnel, running from the north side of Frederick Road to the Patapsco River, took nearly six years to plan and fund, Ball said, as the “largest public works project in Howard County history.”

The Extended North Tunnel project is part of the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan, which Ball adopted shortly after taking office in December 2018, seeking to construct “state-of-the-art” flood mitigation infrastructure to improve safety while preserving the historic district. The plan, which was developed in response to the devastating floods in 2011, 2016 and 2018, includes five water retention ponds, two water conveyance projects, and warning signage, alerts and other programs.

“Three major flood events during the span of seven years are a crisis that we could not and must not ignore,” Ball said. “We knew that bold, decisive and immediate action was needed to set a course for a stronger, more resilient future for our residents, businesses and visitors.”

Projects under way have received sufficient local, state and federal funding, Ball said. There is now an outdoor system for tone alerts and clear signage directing people toward higher-ground locations. More than 91,000 pounds of debris have also been cleared from waterways through a partnership with nonprofit Howard EcoWorks and the county’s Department of Public Works to ensure a better flow of stormwater.

The H-7 and Quaker Mill stormwater retention ponds were completed in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and the H-4 pound is slated to be operational in the fall, Ball announced. The NC-3 pond is in the final design stages while the T-1 pond, which is estimated to more than double the capacity of stormwater retention for the historic community, is in the preliminary design phase.

“Howard County is committed to preserving historic Ellicott City through the promise of these investments and together, we will demonstrate that building climate resilience for historic and flood-prone areas is not only achievable, but it can be done in a way that preserves and uplifts communities,” Ball said.

In December, blasting began for the Extended North Tunnel project to make way for a 300-foot tunnel-boring machine. The machine, nicknamed “Rocky” by Howard County residents, will bore through solid granite 150 feet below the surface to the Patapsco River, Ball said.

At completion, the mile-long tunnel will be able to divert water away from Main Street to the Patapsco River at a rate of 26,000 gallons per second.

“Some said it was too complex, some said it could not be done,” Ball said. “And together, we have taken a bold step toward enhancing the safety and resilience of Ellicott City through this extraordinary effort.”

However, the county will need to determine whether the project will be affected by President Donald Trump’s recent executive order pausing federal loans and grants, Ball said. Last week Trump’s budget office rescinded the order in response to a ruling by a federal judge.

The Extended North Tunnel is expected to cost $141 million, county officials said, with $75 million coming from a low-interest loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. The Maryland Department of the Environment also pledged $18.1 million toward the tunnel project through the water quality revolving loan fund.

“We have a project that is already moving forward. We’re hopeful that our partners at the federal level will continue along the promises and commitments that they’ve already made to move this project forward, and I know that our congressional delegation is continuing to fight and advocate for Ellicott City and the great state of Maryland,” Ball said.

Aside from flood mitigation infrastructure, the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan also focuses on the preservation of historic architecture to maintain the area’s charm and build long-term success, Ball explained. Six buildings will be preserved rather than demolished, and on lower Main Street, four buildings were deconstructed, saving their historic elements to be reused.

The open space at Tiber Park expanded due to the deconstruction.

Once the other water conveyance project – the Maryland Avenue culverts – is complete, the park will see further improvements, Ball said.

“We will continue to push these monumental projects forward until Ellicott City is the exemplar for our country,” Ball said. “And one day, we’ll look back on the choices that we make today and realize that this commitment today to ensuring historic Ellicott City remained a vibrant place to live, work, play, grow and thrive for all generations set the standard for our future.”

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