Yuma Proving Ground begins roadwork to prevent flooding

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Imperial Dam Road will be under construction over the next few months for some major repairs.

A construction crew is working to make the road safer for Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) employees and others by making the road less prone to flooding. 

YPG will be repairing and replacing the sides of the road and adding culverts because of the flooding that can occur during monsoon season.

An engineer on the team was able to explain how else the culverts will help the road apart from minimizing the flooding.

"They also improve drainage from waterways, they also control erosion from water flows and they provide wildlife crossings on the roads so all these key factors really really are important," said project engineer at YPG Eric Jimenez.

YPG shares how nerve-racking it can be driving on the road when there's a storm. 

"If the washes are running, but that's always a fear when you see those rain clouds and you hear there's going to be monsoon storming, that you know we might get stuck at work if we don't leave at the right time," said Ana Henderson from the YPG media relations.

Engineer Eric Jiminez explains why this area is used so consistently by the locals.

"This is the main road, one of the main roads that personnel, civilians and active duty people use to get from one point of the base to another section of the base," said Jimenez.

The project is set to be completed in February of next year.