Chambersburg Borough Rhodes Drive
Rhodes Drive is an important, one-way, municipal roadway that houses several stormwater inlets that are tributary to the Falling Spring Branch, a waterway flowing into the Conococheague Creek. The Rhodes Drive Reconstruction and Stormwater BMP Implementation project included improvements to reduce the rate and volume of stormwater runoff by disconnecting the impervious surface of the street from the existing storm sewer and re-directing runoff to a bio-retention area adjacent to Rhodes Drive. This allows for stormwater infiltration and also provides water quality benefits.
Derck & Edson created the conceptual design for a rain garden that runs the length of the street, absorbing all water runoff. New sidewalks are also made of pervious material, allowing water to pass through instead of running off, eliminating discharge of stormwater into the stream.
The project was funded in part by a Multi-Modal Transportation Improvements Grant through the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority, a Chesapeake Bay Trust grant, and the Franklin County Conservation District. Rhodes Drive is now the first official “Green Street” in the Borough, which has plans to continue incorporating green infrastructure into future projects.