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The expansion began in 2023 as part of a broader effort to reduce catastrophic flood risk in Sacramento.
YOLO COUNTY, Calif. — A key flood-control project designed to protect Sacramento from some of the nation’s highest flood risks has hit unexpected problems underground.
Crews working on the Sacramento Weir expansion discovered a portion of the foundation contains unstable soil, sinking below the foundation. A condition engineers call “differential settlement.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement:
“We are aware of the differential settlement observed at the Sacramento Weir and our project team is carefully evaluating next steps. While this may extend the overall completion timeline for the weir expansion, our top priority remains ensuring the long-term safety and reliability of this critical flood management structure.
We expect our analysis to be complete by the end of September.”
The project is designed to act as a pressure-relief valve, diverting water into the Yolo Bypass and protecting Sacramento’s levees.
Gregory Treible of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District spoke with ABC10 earlier this month.
“We are almost doubling the size, we are expanding it about 1,455 feet and it is a passive weir structure. We are building it that way, so it doesn’t require any manual or mechanical assistance to operate,” said Treible.
The expansion began in 2023 as part of a broader effort to reduce catastrophic flood risk in Sacramento.
“We are better positioned than we have ever been here in Sacramento to guard against catastrophic flood risk,” said Treible said.
West Sacramento neighbors have been impressed by the speed of the work, though some expressed concern about safety.
“How fast it went up, I can’t believe it. A normal bridge you would take years. Start to where it’s at now, it’s incredible. I was just like, they’re on the top of their game, but maybe they are not,” said David Ponzi, a West Sacramento resident. “I just hope they get it right because that is people’s lives that are going over the bridge every day.”
The Sacramento Weir expansion is one of several projects included in the American River Common Features plan from 2016, which is expected to cost around $1.6 billion.
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