Rio Grande de Arecibo Flood Risk Management Project

SPONSOR: Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER).

AUTHORIZATION: Section 101(a)(26) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996.

REMAINING PROJECT COST: $174.1 million

FUNDING: The remaining project features are funded under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115-123 (BBA 2018) to address damages from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

LOCATION: The project is located in the Municipality of Arecibo in west-central Puerto Rico.

DESCRIPTION: The authorized project provides flood risk reduction for a 100-year flood event for the municipality of Arecibo and Los Caños area due to overflows from Rio Grande de Arecibo, Rio Tanama and Rio Santiago. The drainage basin covers 189 square miles characterized by steep mountains and the associated high velocity runoff. The recommended plan combines floodwalls and levees along the Arecibo River; channel improvements, three bridge replacements, diversion channel on the Santiago River; a short levee and channel on the Tanamá River; wetland mitigation site; and recreational facilities.

BENEFITS: This project provides flood protection and over $8 million in annual economic benefits for more than 86,000 Arecibo municipality residents.

Diversion channel on the Santiago River, levee and channel on the Tanama River, and levee on south of Highway 22 for the Arecibo River in the amount of $15,418,308, turned over to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) for operation and maintenance in 2012.

 Flood walls to be built under Puerto Rico Highway #2 and up to the Victor Rojas bridge

 2.7 Km of levee along the Arecibo River

 2.4 Km of channel improvement

 Bridge replacement - Puerto Rico #10 

 Bridge replacement - Constitution 1

 Bridge replacement - Constitution 2

Recreation facilities

Graphical representation of schedule with blue, red, green, blue and orange rectangles

* NOTE: Project features might be divided into two separate construction contracts actions at a future date.

  • 2019 to March 2022 - Design and Real Estate 
  • April to October 2022 - Real Estate
  • November 2022 to January 2023 - Procurement
  • February 2023 - Award
  • March 2023 to December 2027 - Construction