On-road structures provide an alternative to conventional culverts. Pioneered in northeast Iowa, on-road structures use the roadway embankment as a dam, and flow through the culvert is restricted to provide flood storage for large precipitation events.

This project will use advanced hydrologic modeling and GIS-based analysis to quantify the flood reduction benefits of existing ORS and create a statewide database with candidate locations for construction of new ORS and estimate their flood storage potential. Furthermore, the project will build a web-based information system to create user-friendly visualizations of the project results and provide access to the project’s products. At the conclusion of the project, IFC will present the research in a final report and create outreach materials to facilitate the dissemination of the project’s most important findings.