McKinley Channel work continues

The U.S. Army Corps of engineers will begin work this week on a portion of the McKinley Channel Flood Control project.

The clearing of vegetation and the construction of a 2-mile portion of the project should take about a month, said project manager for the City of Alamogordo, Nancy Beshaler.

The work is part of Phase 8 of the large construction project.

"The construction for this project is $24 million," Beshaler said. "And those funds are cost shared between federal fund, and the city has contributed 25 percent plus city utilities."

About 95 percent of the total project is yet to be completed, Beshaler said.

More on the McKinley Channel Flood Control Project:

Final phase to begin on McKinley Channel

Army Corps of Engineers give update on McKinley Channel

NM Sens. secure $6.5 M for Alamogordo flood control project

Phase 8

The work will consist of clearing vegetation within the channel right-of-way from the are near Thunder Road and Del Sur, near North Scenic Avenue.

Those traveling in the area are asked to use caution, though the work should not impact traffic Beshaler said.

Beshaler said that clearing vegetation will allow the contractor, Pate Construction, to line the channel in concrete and begin to construct a basin.

Large machinery and work trucks should be expected to be in use in the area.

The McKinely Channel Project began in 2015.

The project was slowed after new federal regulations disqualified the project's funding.

Last year U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would provide $6.5 million in infrastructure funding to complete the project.

The funds are part of a $17 million appropriation bill for disaster funding.

The city’s share of the project was funded in the 2019 fiscal year budget and totals $3.8 million.

Two flood events were recorded in Alamogordo in the last three years.

Jessica Onsurez can be reached at 575-491-4682, jonsurez@gannett.com or @JussGREAT on Twitter.