Work crews have started preparations for a project intended to curb area flooding by easing the flow of stormwater between Underwood Creek and the Menomonee River.

Beginning in fall, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District workers will spend 18 months digging an underground tunnel 17 feet in diameter. During heavy storms, the half-mile long tunnel will direct extra stormwater into a basin on the Milwaukee County Grounds.

Bill Graffin, a spokesman for the MMSD, said the tunnel and basin will control the amount of water heading into the Menomonee River during heavy rainfall. That will give businesses and neighborhoods in downtown Wauwatosa added flood protection.

"That's basically the main priority of the project," Graffin said. "One of the reasons we do flood management is to keep floodwater out of peoples' basements."

To read full story visit WauwatosaNow.com: