Irving Receives Approval for $35.6M North Delaware Creek Work

Irving has received approval for another $35.6 million in state financing for the next phases of the North Delaware Creek flood-protection project, a multiyear effort aimed at reducing flooding near homes, roads and utility crossings.

The Texas Water Development Board approved $35,635,000 in Clean Water State Revolving Fund financial assistance on June 25, 2026. The City of Irving announced the award on July 10. The financing is not a grant, and it does not mean the work is already complete. It supports planning, property acquisition, design and construction for future project phases.

What the financing will fund

State project documents describe approximately 4,900 feet of improvements along North Delaware Creek. Planned work includes replacing undersized culverts, reinforcing or rebuilding portions of the channel, improving utility crossings and increasing the amount of stormwater the system can carry.

Those improvements are intended to address drainage problems in a fully developed 778-acre watershed upstream of State Highway 183. The Texas Water Development Board’s planning documents say more than 55% of structures in Phases II and III are vulnerable to flooding even during minor storm events.

For residents near the creek and affected crossings, the latest announcement does not establish immediate construction disruptions. Exact access changes, construction boundaries and property-acquisition details will depend on later project notices and schedules.

Expected benefits, with limits

Irving says the completed work is expected to provide a 100-year level of flood protection, remove more than two dozen homes from the floodplain and save taxpayers approximately $5.4 million over the life of the loan.

That protection level is a project target, not a promise that flooding will never occur. The city estimates that more than two dozen homes would benefit from the current financing package, while a separate state planning document estimates that the full North Delaware Creek project could protect 84 homes. Those figures refer to different scopes and should not be treated as interchangeable.

The planned work may also affect nearby roads and utilities as culverts and crossings are upgraded. However, the latest announcement does not establish immediate closures or a final construction schedule.

When work could begin

A Texas Water Development Board project rating report lists January 2027 as an estimated construction start and January 2028 as an estimated completion for the financed work. Those dates are planning information, not a final commitment from the city or its contractors.

The new financing is an additional award within Irving’s broader drainage-improvement program. KERA News previously reported that the city received an earlier state-supported funding package of about $70 million to address North Delaware Creek, described as Irving’s largest and most outdated drainage channel. The latest $35.6 million award advances another set of phases rather than closing out the entire program.

Residents should monitor City of Irving project updates, maps and future construction notices for confirmed work limits, traffic or access changes, utility coordination and property-acquisition information.

Sources

• City of Irving announcement
• Texas Water Development Board June 25 agenda
• KERA News flood-infrastructure report