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Winterville hears detailed plan to fix Noble Canal flooding; Tyson Street work to include water main upgrades
Summary
Engineers presented 90% plans for the decades‑old Noble Canal watershed problem, proposing a two‑phase project that reshapes the open channel, installs a new 36‑inch storm line under Tyson Street, upsizes a 2‑inch water main to 12‑inch and adds pedestrian crossings; phase one is estimated at roughly 100 days and will prioritize minimizing school impacts.
Engineers from the Wooten Company told Winterville’s Town Council on June 8 that a long‑running stormwater problem centered on the Noble Canal will be addressed in a two‑phase construction plan focused on both the open channel and the subsurface pipes. “Noble Canal carries approximately 240 to 250 acres of watershed predominantly centered in downtown Winterville,” said Will Larson of the Wooten Company, noting repetitive nuisance flooding after heavy rains and tropical events.
The firm presented 90% construction drawings and recommended beginning with the open‑channel improvements and a new stormwater conveyance along Tyson Street. Larson said the project will “keep the canal in its current location with minimal disruption” while changing the channel’s geometry to convey significantly more flow. For the Tyson Street corridor, the design calls for a new 36‑inch storm line on the north side of Tyson and replacement of an undersized domestic transmission line: “We are moving forward with replacing the water line along Tyson Street, upsizing this to a 12‑inch,” Larson said, adding that combining the work avoids remobilizing crews and reduces future neighborhood disturbance.
Town staff and the consultants emphasized constraints and mitigation. The Tyson block is tight—many houses sit only a few feet from the curb—so most new utilities will be installed beneath pavement to protect residence foundations and limit construction impacts. Larson said the team will require contractors to maintain access and communicate schedules with affected residents; he estimated phase‑one work (open channel plus Tyson) at roughly 100 days, explaining that downstream work must be completed before upstream sections can be connected.
Residents asked detailed questions about access and service interruptions. A Tyson Street resident said the proposed alignment would place heavy construction in front yards of mostly older residents and asked whether work could instead be routed behind houses; Larson replied that staked right‑of‑way and limited shoulder space make a behind‑house alignment infeasible and that keeping work in the street provides more controlled construction and safer, more predictable staging. On water service, staff said the new 12‑inch line will be tied in while the old line remains active; temporary outages for connection would typically last an hour or two per household and customers would be notified in advance.
The project package also includes pedestrian safety elements. Because parts of the work fall within the CSX right‑of‑way, the design adds three pedestrian crossings—Main Street, Depot Street and in front of the elementary school—to avoid a separate permitting round down the road. Larson said aligning pedestrian upgrades with the stormwater permits reduces duplicative inspections and overall costs.
Council members thanked the presenters and asked staff to finalize permitting documents. Assistant Town Manager Anthony Bowers said staff will continue coordinating permitting, utility relocation and resident notification as the design is completed and permits are submitted. No contract award or construction start date was announced; staff said they will return with procurement steps once permit approvals and final schedules are set.
