Flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey significantly damaged a 500-foot roadway and a 100-foot concrete culvert at the intersection of County Road 417 and the Federal Road within the Trinity River Wildlife Refuge in Dayton, Texas. This route served as the sole access to Champion Lake’s recreational activities and vital utility infrastructure. By September 2017, the worsening conditions rendered the road unsafe, leading to its closure and preventing maintenance and public use.

With emergency funding approved in August 2018, Kenall acted swiftly, submitting a design proposal within two days of the request, which included a site visit. Following the notice to proceed on September 5th, Kenall completed the necessary surveys, topographic assessments, hydraulic modeling, and design work for the new roadway, culvert, and guardrails by October 15th, delivering all bid documents to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on time.

The project focused on replacing the structurally inadequate culvert under CR 417 with a 60-foot-long, 60-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe. Advanced hydraulic models—HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, and HY-8—were employed using data from surveys, LiDAR, and geotechnical studies. These models guided the design to optimize the culvert’s capacity, cover depth, and performance under hydraulic pressure. Erosion protection and regrading measures were implemented for the downstream channel to ensure effective floodwater management within its banks.