LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — This morning's heavy rainfall reminded a lot of people of a recurring problem: standing water on Sagamore Parkway in West Lafayette.
Whenever it rains, the road floods.
The constant flooding along busy roadways such as Sagamore Parkway puts drivers in danger.
Driving through standing water can cause damage to a vehicle's electrical components or loss of control while driving.
It only takes a few inches for a car to hydroplane in standing water, but the National Weather Service says a foot is enough to totally take away a car.
West Lafayette native Brandon Dean said the flooding creates difficulties for his commute.
"It's hazardous cause it's a lot of water so everything is slick. It makes it hard to get to work, especially on that intersection everything is completely flooded. It just makes it a hassle to get to work," said Dean.
While the road tends to get flooded, Indiana Department of Trasportation Communications Director Debbie Calder said maintenence on the road is done regulalrly.
"Our maintenence crews each and every year take care of going through and cleaning the gutters, inlets and catch bases as well," said Calder.
Every time a large road construction plan is undertaken, a hydraulic study is done to determine how many drains are needed.
In the case of Sagamore Parkway, the current system was declared up to date.
For the time being, Calder said the best thing do to is practice safe driving habits.
"Any time we have any weather conditions especially with a hard driving rain, you just need to reduce your speed and keep a safe distance between you and the other person," said Calder.
While there is no set plan to update the drainage situation along Sagamore, any future plan would allow for re-evaluation of the drainage system at the time.
