Flagstaff鈥檚 Schultz Creek Drainage Improvements Project received multiple awards last month from professional associations and the state, the city announced on Monday, June 23.
The project, which included the installation of a new box culvert underneath Highway 180 near Flagstaff Fire Department Station No. 5 along with upstream and downstream flood mitigation work, was completed in October 2024. Phoenix-based Banicki Construction was the city鈥檚 contractor for the culvert installation.
The , a group that supports both public- and private-sector professionals working on infrastructure, recognized the culvert installation as the 2025 Arizona Project of the Year for Disaster or Emergency Repair. The , which promotes the use of concrete pipes in infrastructure, honored the project and culvert manufacturer Rinker Materials with the 2025 .
And the Arizona Department of Transportation, which has authority over the highway鈥檚 right-of-way, gave the project a 2024 Partnering Excellence Award.
The installation of the culvert beneath Highway 180 was the final component of the drainage improvements聽intended to prevent postwildfire flooding in the Schultz Creek corridor. In 2022 the area flooded multiple times after the Pipeline Fire scorched the watershed upstream.
鈥淭he full suite of projects has completely mitigated the postwildfire flash flood threats in the impacted watershed, protecting over 200 homes, an elementary school and critical facilities,鈥� the city stated in a press release.
Banicki Construction鈥檚 notes that, along with installing the culvert, the company lowered or realigned multiple utility lines, including water, sewer, gas, power and internet. Traffic access along Highway 180 and the adjacent Flagstaff Urban Trails System pathway was maintained throughout.
The project was overseen by Flagstaff鈥檚 Water Services Engineering Section director Mac McNamara and the Stormwater Section, with funding from Arizona State Bill 1720 and the city鈥檚 Stormwater Utility. Additional information is available at .